Human
by Kiki Ling
Summary: After tearing Tala and Ray apart Bryan is sent to a retreat for his own safety. His enthusiasm for this escapade is less than positive, however there are more than a few surprises to keep him occupied. Bryan x Brooklyn, Tala x Ray.
1. Death And Destruction

Hey people! Another story! I really should finish my other stories first, but I just HAD to put this up! So, a Bryan and Brooklyn fic. There's not a lot on the site, but I kinda like the pairing so I'll have a bash at it!

Category: Beyblade.

Rating: T.

Pairings: Bryan x Brooklyn. Tala x Ray.

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: After tearing Tala and Ray apart Bryan is sent to a retreat for his own safety. His enthusiasm for this escapade is less than positive, however there are more than a few surprises to keep him occupied. Bryan x Brooklyn, Tala x Ray.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

WARNINGS: Bad language. Violence. Yaoi.

So I don't think there's much more to say, I'll see how this one goes down I guess.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human**

**Chapter One: Death And Destruction**

Black.

"Hey! Did you hear about that guy who was found beaten up in the back alleys?"

Dark.

"Tyson! Don't talk about such things while we're eating!"

Empty.

"But, Hilary, it happened only a few streets from my home! What if it happens to me?"

"It might knock some sense in to you"

Numb.

"Kai! How could you be so cruel to me?"

"Quite easily"

Black.

"You're just mean!"

"Only to you"

Dark.

"Hey, anyone know where Ray is?"

Empty.

"I'm here, I just went to the bathroom"

"Daichi, don't start a food fight!"

"He started it, Hilary!"

Mad.

"Well I'll finish it!"

Crazy.

"Stop it, both of you"

Insane.

"Aw, Ray, you take all the fun out!"

"He's trying to stop you looking like fools in front of everyone else"

"Kai! Don't speak to Tyson in that tone!"

Stupid.

"I'll talk to him like I want, Hilary"

"Guys, relax. People are watching!"

"Then, Kenny, all they see is a usual day for the Bladebreakers"

"You have a good point, Max"

Dumb.

"Hey! Tala's here!"

Dense.

"He's been here the whole time, idiot! All the Blitzkrieg Boys are here in case you hadn't noticed!"

"Kai, there's no need to be so snappy. What is wrong with you?"

"You're what's wrong with me, Tyson"

"Hey! I take offence!"

Dim.

"Hey, Bryan, you ain't eating much. You ok?"

Brainless- Bryan looked at the small scrawny ugly red head that now gazed up at him; he glared and shoved Daichi away from him in disgust.

"Hey!" Tyson glared at him "take it easy, Bryan! Daichi was only asking!"

Bryan glared back "and what you going to do about it?" he challenged.

Tyson's glare increased, but he said nothing.

"Just what I thought," sneered Bryan "you going do to nothing! Because you're stupid!"

"Bryan" Kai warned his red eyes flicking to the Russian "don't"

"Why shouldn't I?" growled Bryan "he is stupid. This whole fucking thing is stupid! You're all stupid"

"Shut up, Kuznetsov!" snapped Tala.

Bryan glared at him; he would have thought of all people Tala would be on his side. Abruptly Bryan stood knocking his chair crashing to the floor, the whole table stopped chatting and looked round at the angry Russian "fine" said Bryan "have your stupid party. Eat your stupid food. It's crap. You're all crap. And this is full of shit" he turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door so hard that the pictures on the walls shook and Mr Dickinson winced.

Tala and Kai glanced at each other "it's your turn to talk to him" said Kai grumpily leaning his head on one hand.

* * *

Tala sighed but stood and left the room amidst mutterings and whispers which filled his ears until he too shut the door firmly behind him. Dragging a hand through his hair he wandered up the corridor wondering where Bryan had stormed off to this time. He growled in frustration at the falcon; there was something wrong with Bryan and for the first time in his life Tala didn't know what it was. He'd once called them close, brother in arms but now that seemed to have gone. As soon as the fight with Boris had finished, as soon as they'd stopped fighting and begun to lead ordinary lives Bryan had become resentful, angry and frustrated and Tala didn't know what to do anymore…the worst part was, he was starting not to care. Bryan wasn't doing anything to help himself and it was starting to piss Tala off.

He located Bryan outside lighting a cigarette and muttering angrily to himself "what's your fucking problem this time?" he snapped at the falcon.

Bryan glanced at him but said nothing as he lent against the wall and took a drag before blowing out and looking up at the sky.

Tala wasn't that easily deterred "if you're not going to tell me then fine, but I swear Bryan if you _do_ anything I'll fucking kick you off the team!" his icy glare however seemed to bounce off the falcon who merely took another drag and exhaled with a sigh.

"And what are you expecting me to do?" he asked as he turned his gaze from the sky to his captain "break something? Beat someone up?"

"One never knows with you!" snapped Tala, he wasn't in the mood for Bryan's seeming emotionless retorts and comebacks "I don't know you anymore! I used to think I could read what was going on in your dead brain but either you've stopped thinking anything or you're keeping it from me!"

Again Bryan took a drag as he looked steadily at his captain "I thought I was the one supposed to be pissed off" he said expressionlessly and he gave an impassive smirk at Tala's cold look "shit Tal, didn't think you cared about me so much"

"I don't!" snarled Tala "I'm here to make sure you don't get arrested again!"

"So it's your image you're worried about, ah" Bryan nodded in realisation "I hadn't noticed you'd started worrying over being embarrassed by me. Do forgive me, next time I'll make sure I won't knock the chair over"

Tala's eyes flashed and his hand struck Bryan across the face leaving three white stinging scores on the right side of Bryan's face; Bryan only let out a harsh laugh, he didn't feel the pain, he hadn't felt pain in years but lately he hadn't been feeling anything except a dark empty feeling in his head. He didn't know what it was but to see Tala's eyes narrow in anger gave Bryan a sense of superiority; he knew how to control his temper now, he knew how to keep it in and it gave him a glow to think that Tala couldn't. The wolf was all about control and he couldn't even keep a hold on his temper.

Tala seemed to see he wasn't going to get a sensible out of Bryan, like he ever got anything sensible out of Bryan anyway, so he simmered somewhat "be like that. I'm going out"

The wolf turned to go but curiosity and suspicion blazed up inside Bryan who asked, "where do you go?"

Tala turned back his face impassive "what?"

"You're always going 'out', and always at night. Where do you go?" Bryan watched Tala carefully but Tala seemed to have become of a block of ice.

"It's none of your business," replied the wolf "what's it to you if I go out at night?"

Because he wanted to know what his captain found so interesting, Bryan shrugged and inhaled more smoke "nothing I guess, I suppose it's something boring like staring at the moon like you're some kind of pathetic dog"

Tala glared again and his blue eyes became very cold "watch your mouth!" he growled "don't you dare talk to your captain like that!"

"I'll talk to you how I want," said Bryan coolly "but you do see my point, it's always at night you go out and you never say where you're going"

"You never say where you go when you go out!" replied Tala, Bryan was getting on his nerves and he knew it; he had to stop letting the falcon get under his skin before he said something he regretted.

"True, but I don't go out _every_ night" Bryan threw the scrag end of his fag on the floor and stamped on it, flattening it with his boot with a grunt "even Kai's noticed you go out a lot. What's the matter? Kai's mansion not big enough?"

"It has nothing to do with you or Kai" Tala's voice was cold and he turned round again to go back inside "I would have thought that privacy was every man's right"

"There's a difference between privacy and obsessive time alone, I'm beginning to think you don't want to be round us anymore"

Tala whirled round "well you may just be right about that!" his voice had silenced to a hiss which cut through the still night air like a whip of ice "I don't know what's fucking up your mind but if you don't want to tell me then that's fine! Just don't expect me to tell you all my secrets!" he glared at Bryan "of course you could just cut me some slack, you've been acting like a pig for weeks and it's really starting to fuck me off Kuznetsov!"

Bryan took a step back from the fury of his captain and gave a small frown; he hadn't seen Tala this angry in a long time, was this really all about him, or was it something else praying Tala's mind? "Tala, I-"

"Save your shit!" Tala span back round to the door for the last time "I don't want to hear it!" he re-entered Mr Dickinson's manor and walked away leaving Bryan cursing himself.

* * *

Tala opened the door to the dinning room with a slam and once again had everyone's attention, except this time he didn't care who was watching him "Mr Dickinson, I suppose I should thank you for inviting me" his voice was sharp and curt so no one had the stupid notion to interrupt him, Tala glanced at Kai "I'll see you later" having said that he slammed out the room once again.

Kai inwardly sighed and massaged the side of his head with an aggravated air; for weeks the rift between Tala and Bryan had been growing and it was beginning to show, the bruise on the side of his face hidden only by a wisp of hair and the Bladebreakers' lack of observational skills had saved him from suspicion but if the fights between Tala and Bryan became any more violent Kai would find himself in hospital once again. He tugged restlessly at the bandages covering his face, trapping in half his sight, he felt bitter and resentful towards Brooklyn for this and when he found that good for nothing-

"Hey"

Ray's soft voice cut through Kai's inner turmoil "don't tug at it" he reprimanded quietly "you'll only injure yourself more"

Kai's lips pursed angrily and he said between gritted teeth "if I go blind because of-"

"You don't know that yet" Ray cut him off "don't go blaming Brooklyn for something that hasn't happened yet. I know you're angry but your sight might still come back"

"The doctors said there was a 60% chance I'd be blind in one eye for the rest of my life" Kai replied, "I think I have the right to be angry"

Around them the other teams were present, the All Starz; the only team were all the members were present. BEGA, Brooklyn was noticed by his absense, and finally Spencer who was sitting looking rather alone at the end of the table. Throughout the table mutterings of conversations drifted back and forth softly as they got over the disturbance from Tala and Bryan and relaxed once again.

"Maybe" Ray admitted "but that doesn't mean you have to let it eat up inside"

"Shut up, Ray" Kai snapped as his temper flew out of control "I don't need any of your righteous crap"

Ray sighed and went back to his food knowing not to press Kai when the phoenix was brooding; he wished Kai would let it go, he knew it was churning Kai up inside and it worried him. He wanted to help Kai but he was being pushed away and Ray was starting to feel he was losing a friend; he'd noticed the bruise on the side of Kai's face but hadn't been stupid enough to mention it, he could figure out that Kai had obtained it breaking up a fight between Tala and Bryan and he knew it probably wasn't the first Kai had suffered. None of the others had mentioned the bruise either though Ray knew they had noticed it; they all knew that whatever was happening between the Blitzkrieg Boys it was going to stay between the Russians, they wanted their secrets so the Bladebreakers didn't mention the bruise and let Kai think they hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry" Kai muttered, "I didn't meant to sound so harsh"

"It's fine" replied Ray "I'm getting kinda used to it"

Kai threw him a glare "what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing" Ray sighed and pushed the food around with his fork; he wasn't hungry, leaning his head in his hand he watched Tyson and Daichi fight over the salt and Max try to flirt with Hilary. It was funny to watch, Max got so nervous he would get a negative response he stammered and got his negative response because Hilary snapped at him to speak properly, except Ray didn't feel very much like laughing. He wanted to leave, he wanted to walk out in to the night, he wanted to escape but now wasn't the agreed time and he had to wait.

* * *

"Tala!" Bryan walked swiftly after the wolf as the redhead was quickly disappearing round the corner of the street; growling Bryan sped up to a run and in a few moments had caught the wolf up. Tala however ignored him with a growl and continued on with long strides but Bryan wasn't giving up that easily. He grabbed the redhead by the shoulders and pulled him round forcing Tala to look at him; he looked in to the ice blue eyes fiercely but Tala pulled away from his friend and brother and turned his back on him again, he didn't however walk away.

"Whatever you're hiding you don't have to tell me" Bryan muttered, forcing out every word; this was his way of apologising and he still found it difficult even if he meant it, he wanted Tala to know he regretted his words but it was hard, it was so hard to make the words say what he wanted them to say.

Tala said nothing; he knew Bryan was trying to apologise but he didn't want to hear it, he just wanted Bryan to leave. He had somewhere to go but he couldn't until Bryan left.

Now he'd said those words Bryan didn't know what else to say; what else could he say? Some part of him wanted to tell Tala of the emptiness inside his head but the other part of him knew the wolf wouldn't understand, Tala had leadership and keeping Kai in line to fill his mind whereas all Bryan ever did was follow Tala's instructions. He was a shell and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Forget it" Tala said in a blank voice; he felt drained, he was sick of fighting with Bryan and he needed to escape…just for a little while. He began to walk on slowly, waiting to see if Bryan was following but when the falcon stayed silent behind him Tala walked away without looking back.

* * *

So tell me what you think. It'll be interesting how easy this story is to write, whether I'm as inspired to write this as I am with my Kai x Ray fics.

Anyway, please review.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki


	2. Talk To Me

Hey, so I seem to be updating all the fics I didn't expect to update, but there's no bad in that so here we are!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade nor any of its characters.

Last Time: Bryan was in a mess and he'd seriously pissed off Tala. Kai was in a bad mood because there's the chance he will go blind thanks to Brooklyn, he took his temper out on Ray who was wishing he was somewhere else.

WARNINGS: Yaoi.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human**

**Chapter Two: Talk To Me**

The soft knock on the door brought Tala to his senses and he waited as he heard a key slide in to the lock, the click and then the door was opening cautiously as nervously Ray peered round the door to look in to the room; the neko-jin didn't relax when he saw Tala sitting on the bed but a relief swept over him. He'd been scared Tala wouldn't be there, just like every time he decided to see the wolf again he was always scared Tala wouldn't be there.

"I didn't know whether I should come" he whispered as he shut the door softly and the lock clicked again.

Tala stood "you still came" he replied emotionlessly as Ray almost crept towards him closely; their eyes locked with each other as Ray came closer and they knew they weren't going anywhere. Each time they arranged to meet they both dithered on whether to show but they always did and, though they knew they shouldn't, they both caved in to the desires and the lust of the body. Each time Ray was scared he would show and find that Tala wasn't there; each time he tried to persuade himself not to go but each time he tried to resist and each time the longing only grew stronger and Ray was beginning to accept that, no matter when it was, he would come to Tala whenever the wolf called for him. Tala himself wasn't scared of what he felt every time he saw Ray, he knew it was wrong, he knew that if anyone found out he wouldn't be able to contain the self disgust he felt but he kept coming, he kept finding Ray and Ray kept coming to him.

Their respective childhoods told them that what they were submitting to was wrong in every sense of the word and this had stuck, even though the beginning of acceptance was present in the rest of the world. But they kept meeting and now they both knew they wouldn't stop no matter how much they wanted to because…in all reality they didn't want to stop, they liked it and they wanted more.

He watched Ray undress, watched the neko-jin undo the buttons of his top to reveal the slender smooth torso underneath; lifting his hand he ran his fingers down the lightly tanned skin watching Ray's eyes gently close with the sensation. He slid the top from the neko-jin's shoulders and ran his hands round Ray's neck and down his back causing the tiger to shiver. Ray turned his gaze up to Tala's who lent in to Ray's lips which met his halfway in a kiss that grew with intensity and greed with each passing moment.

He pushed Ray down on to the bed behind them and placed a bruising mark in the crook of Ray's neck making the neko-jin gasp and arch his back; he climbed on to Ray as his growing desire overcame his disgust and he pushed down on the tiger slipping between the opening legs with a groan. Ray pushed him back up to undo the zipper of Tala's jeans, pushing them down off the wolf and gasping as he pulled out of his own before pulling Tala back down on him. They kissed again, their hands running over the other's body gently scratching the skin as the gasps became pants of impatience and annoyance.

Ray turned over swallowing with excitement and fear; the same feeling he experienced every time he saw Tala, it was a feeling that he longed for and yet he tried to fight it every moment of every day. It was there always at the back of his mind and whenever he saw Tala he felt weak in the legs and his head span. But he loved that feeling and relished it every time it throbbed through his body, making his heart beat so hard it almost hurt, the breathlessness and the rush all of it he loved and all of it he could never walk away from. He was beginning to accept that and, though it still scared him, he was beginning to like it.

* * *

They lay in the bed, Tala's body half hidden by the sheets while Ray was curled up beside him half asleep; his hair was loose and it cascaded down his body save of the few strands that Tala held limply between his fingers watching it shine in the light of the bedside lamp. He found it fascinating, the way it hung down over Ray's shoulders, the way it shimmered down Ray's back almost rippling whenever Ray moved; it was in these moments that Tala truly forgot the disgust he felt for himself and Ray, and it was in these moments that he actually felt almost at ease with everything around him. As long as he was in that room and the rest of the world was outside Tala could forget his past and the things he'd been taught.

"Tala" Ray's huge golden eyes lifted to the wolf's face intently "if I asked you something, would you answer?" he climbed up closer to the red head seeking the warmth of the other body.

"Depends on the question" replied Tala calmly as he let go of the few strands he held and met the golden eyes with a long gaze.

"Why do you hate me?" Ray whispered "I see you every time you call me and yet I see the disgust every time in your face, every time we're done I see you cringe away from me, why? Is it me? Tell me. Talk to me Tala. You never talk to me…and I want you to"

The neko-jin climbed up Tala's body until he was sitting on the pillow and looking down at Tala who looked back up emotionlessly, cautiously Ray leaned down and placed his lips on Tala's "talk to me" he whispered against them "you wouldn't leave me alone, you wouldn't leave me alone until you had me and now you've got me you don't seem to want to have me anymore. Are you bored? Is that it?"

Ray was stopped from saying anything else by Tala's finger that pressed against his lips and he sat back to allow Tala to shuffle up until he was leaning against the headboard of the bed. Ray allowed himself to be pulled on to Tala's lap and he purred as Tala ran his callous fingers through Ray's raven strands. Ray's eyes closed with pleasure and delight; this was the first time Tala had been tender, this was the first time Tala had pulled him close; a small smile escaped on to his face as Tala continued to run his hand through Ray's hair.

"It was you" Tala lips parted in a silent speech that he made sure Ray couldn't hear "it was you who was there"

#Flashback#

Tala opened his eyes to the sound of constant beeping; it was annoying and it was getting in to his head, the colours around him swirled and he shut his eyes again blocking out the light, he groaned and tried to lift a hand to hold his head but something tugged at him sending a spasm of pain up his arm so he relaxed it instead.

It was at this point he heard a gasp and the rush of feet but whether they were running to him or away from him he couldn't tell until a voice penetrated through his head like a foghorn "Tala? Tala! Are you awake?"

"No" said Tala in a slow stubborn voice.

"Oh my God!" the voice sounded astonished "you really are awake! When I saw you move I just thought you were moving in your dreams but you're actually awake!"

Tala wasn't listening to any of this; he was trying to recognise the voice, he knew he'd heard it from somewhere but couldn't place it. It was familiar to him and it was beginning to annoy him that he couldn't remember where he'd heard it.

"Tala! Have you gone back to a coma?"

Tala felt fingers touch his arm and twitched to rid himself of the contact; the hand immediately withdrew and he heard someone shuffle, still he was trying to remember that voice; opening his eyes would solve the mystery instantly but that meant having to struggle against those lights, even now he could feel them burning against his eyelids.

"Turn off the lights" he ordered.

"What?"

Tala pursed his lips and repeated in rather clipped tones "turn off the lights. They're blinding and I can't see"

"Oh right" he heard a scuffle and the flick of a switch, the burning heat on his eyelids disappeared and Tala once again attempted to open his eyes, daylight flashed in through the window and he shut them tight again trying to shut out that blinding pain that blazed through his head every time he opened his eyes. His companion obviously noticed this because Tala heard another scuffle on his other side and heard the clatter as the blinds came to meet in the middle. He then heard a shuffle by his side and felt the warm breeze of someone's breath on his face.

"I've closed the blinds" said the voice though still Tala couldn't for the life of him remember who it was.

"Oh so you do have a brain" Tala commented as he opened his eyes once again, slowly so they adjusted to the dimmed light in the room. He stared at the ceiling for a while, allowing his eyes time to adjust, before turning his head to see the person standing by his bed. It was Ray Kon "you?"

Ray smiled at him "I've been visiting you everyday, I come in to see Kai so I always come in to see you as well"

"I am honoured" said Tala with slight cynicism, he tried again to lift his hand but again the flare of pain stopped him.

"Your arm is linked up to a drip" Ray explained, "it tugs every time you move your arm, lift the other one"

"Great" muttered Tala "why don't you put me in a tub of liquid strength?" he grumbled; these words meant nothing to Ray but Tala remembered clearly being put inside a cylinder of liquid to make him stronger, he remembered Voltaire and Boris discussing him. Pushing these memories away he lifted his other hand and pulled off the oxygen mask which he shoved away from his face.

"Are you sure that's wise?" asked Ray as he caught the oxygen mask and placed it on a small table by Tala's bed.

"I don't need some tank to fill my lungs with oxygen, I can do it myself quite well!" Tala snapped, cautiously he hefted himself up to a sitting position throwing Ray a glare when the neko-jin looked likely to protest. Leaning himself against the pillows he then inspected the drip attached to his arm; with one quick movement and before Ray knew what he was doing Tala ripped the drip away from his arm and flung it away, he hissed with the stinging pain and watched the blood run down his arm from a small manmade cut that marred the white skin of his arm.

"Here, let me" he looked up to see that Ray had walked round the bed with some bandage. He glared as Ray took hold of his arm but the neko-jin merely ignored him as he wiped away the blood with a tissue and wrapped the small lesion with the bandage. Tala couldn't move, no one had ever been so careful or gently with him, he didn't like it and he wanted to pull away but he couldn't move, he could barely breathe as he watched Ray bandage the wound expertly.

"There" Ray looked back up at the wolf who shook himself out of the stupor and inspected the bandage warily, Ray smiled "I only wanted to stop your arm bleeding, I'm not here to poison you"

"I don't understand why you're here at all" said Tala rather coldly.

This however bounced off Ray who replied, "I told you, I come to the hospital to see Kai and I always look in on you too"

"Hmph!" was all Tala's first response to this and then he added "I don't need some stupid pussy-cat peering over me like some leech"

Ray rolled his eyes "well I wasn't expecting any gratitude" he muttered to himself, he turned back to Tala "can you remember what happened?"

Tala thought about this and after a moment said, "I remember waking up, I remember that Tyson had beaten Brooklyn…" he trailed off thinking but the memories were blank with only a few noises to confuse him.

Seeing that Tala was too proud to ask Ray filled in the blanks "when Tyson was fighting Brooklyn you woke and escaped from the hospital, you arrived when they were arresting Boris. Boris saw you and he…" Ray paused "…he attacked you, both of you injured each other and by the time they Boris off you he'd stabbed with a hidden knife and you were bleeding badly. You slipped in to a coma before they reached the hospital. No one thought you-" Ray stopped and smiled a little too brightly "well, you're awake now and everyone will be thrilled by the news"

"Lucky me" said Tala without enthusiasm.

"You've had lots of visitors" Ray continued "Spencer came a couple of times and I'm sure Bryan would have done…if he hadn't been arrested-"

"WHAT!" Tala sat bolt upright "that stupid twat got himself arrested?"

Ray smiled "he was the one who got Boris off you, but he got arrested for attacking Boris himself" he explained "in his defence he probably saved your life"

"Defence be dammed! He got himself arrested!" Tala fumed "that stupid fucking twat!"

"He'll be out in a few months" Ray reasoned.

Tala only glared and called Bryan a few more rude names; he couldn't believe the falcon had managed to get himself arrested after Tala had spent so long to keep him out of prison, now he was going to have to pay for Bryan's bail as he seriously doubted Kai would offer-

He froze as a shadow stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared in to the face of Boris "what's _he_ doing here?" he snarled in a low hiss.

Ray turned and gasped when he saw Boris, turning back round he was caught by the look of anger and hatred marring Tala's face…but in that anger and hatred there was another expression, something Ray never expected he would find in the face of something so proud and cool: fear. Gently Ray reached out and touched Tala's arm again, the wolf flinched at his touch and his blue eyes snapped to Ray's "it's alright" Ray whispered calmly "he's leaving today. Prison, for a good many years. He's not coming back…you'll never see him again"

Tala sneered, he didn't need some stupid neko-jin telling him some contrived crap that he didn't want to know…but Ray didn't go, no matter how much Tala snapped and snarled at him, no matter how many glares and sneers the wolf threw at him he stayed until he was sure Tala was alright.

#End Flashback#

Now Tala sat in the bed still thinking; Ray had insisted on coming everyday, of course he dragged the rest of the Bladebreakers with him but he always stayed behind afterwards to ask how Tala was, Tala would snap at him and try to push him away but all Ray ever did was smile and promise to come back the next day. Tala would find himself constantly checking the clock awaiting Ray's arrival, on several occasions Kai had been standing by his bed for a full ten minutes before Tala realised he was there so absorbed in watching the clock.

As soon as he left the hospital Tala had started hounding Ray, annoying him and pestering just to see if he could get a reaction…but then on the day he'd found Ray by the beach he'd seen the tears in Ray's eyes. Something had happened between the White Tigers, it had made Tala angry to see the tears pricking the neko-jin's eyes but he hadn't known how to handle it, until Ray had turned around and kissed him.

He didn't hate Ray, he didn't know how he felt about the tiger but he knew he didn't hate him. Looking down he saw Ray had fallen asleep under the relaxation of Tala's fingers in his hair. Tala looked at him for a while, watching the neko-jin sleep softly in his lap pausing his rhythmic motion only to continue when Ray mumbled quietly in his sleep.

* * *

Aww! I think Tala and Ray are so cute, and they're in very great danger of becoming my favourite...and surpassing my love for Kai x Ray? No, it can't be! Nothing could replace that pairing! -gasp-

Maybe...Tala x Ray AND Kai x Ray could be my favourite pairings...or do I have to have favourites? Couldn't I just like various pairings? There's an idea...

Anyway, I'm rambling and you're probably not that interested in my favourite pairings :)

Please review and leave your thoughts and opinions.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time.

Kiki


	3. Perfect Mr Kon

Ahh, here we are on chapter three. I actually had this written out a couple of weeks ago, but I forgot all about it until today, when I was walking the dog and a passer by screamed out randomly "WE'RE ALL HUMAN IN THIS WORLD!"  
Seriously, that's what he said. I've no idea why but it reminded me about this fiction and that I hadn't updated the latest chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade nor any of its characters.

I actually quite like this story because it's one of my few stories I can look at without going "Ah! The grammar in this is crap!" and I don't feel the need to rewrite it...not now anyway.

WARNINGS: Violence. Bad language.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human**

**Chapter Three: Perfect Mr Kon**

He pounded the streets angrily, Tala had to be around here somewhere but he didn't know where exactly; he'd followed the wolf as far as he could but it seemed Tala had figured out he was being followed and had given Bryan the slip. The falcon knew it was pointless trying to find the red head but still he kept going knowing if he gave up now it would be ages before Tala would speak to him again. Some part of Bryan couldn't handle that; Tala was his captain and Bryan supposed he would have to call Tala a friend but there was more to it than that, he and Tala had been through so much together and both had experiences not even Kai shared. There was a bond between them and when they fought it was hard for Bryan to think about anything else; that didn't mean he and Tala didn't fight almost every day but lately Tala had been hiding something from him and Bryan himself felt like he was going crazy when all he did was hang around streets and attended dinner parties organised by Mr Dickinson.

He growled and came to an abrupt stop outside some hotel, closing eyes as the cold wind blew sharply in his face; he would find Tala and they would be the way they were before. Whatever secret Tala was hiding Bryan was just going have to let the wolf have his way; the falcon sighed angrily and opened his eyes again determined he would not lose his temper with the wolf anymore, Tala was his captain.

He was about to walk across the street when a sight froze him in place; Ray was standing on the other of the road tugging at his plait and yawning. It was early morning, too early for a neko-jin to be wandering the streets; Bryan glared, he'd never liked Ray, ever since that match he'd never liked Perfect Mr Kon. The very sight of the neko-jin made Bryan want to break that perfect smile, see tears in those sparkling eyes and watch blood ooze from his nose. However, Kai had forbidden him to hurt Ray and therefore Bryan kept back from the tiger to dissuade any temptation. He made to back up the street and walk the other way when Ray turned back to the hotel he'd come from; curiosity got the better of the falcon. What was Mr Kon doing coming out of a hotel so early in the morning? Wasn't he staying at Granger's place?

Then Bryan saw who had followed Perfect Mr Kon out of the hotel.

Ray paused as Tala stepped from the hotel; his eyes locked with the wolf's and he studied the azure blue eyes intently, the silent rules stated they weren't supposed to make any contact outside the hotel but Ray wanted to touch, wanted to reach out, he wanted to walk up to Tala and feel for more of the gentleness Tala had given him before.

To his surprise, though, it was Tala who walked up to him, tipping the neko-jin's head back with a pale finger; Tala's lips were parted as if to say something but a fierce look in Ray's eyes stopped him, they were silent as they stared at each other as if daring the other to walk away without looking back. They'd both tried to walk away but something kept them walking back, something kept them together when they wanted nothing more than to part.

And then Tala was kissing him, hungrily, eagerly; Ray wrapped his arms round the redhead's neck as he responded with a desperate need. Since his defeat to Crusher Ray had been feeling low, unwanted and surplus, it was only Tala who could make him forget about it, only Tala who could take away that feeling of worthlessness. His parted lips allowed the tussle of tongues as the neko-jin half-heartedly fought for dominance; it was Tala who would overrule him, he wanted Tala to control him. Tala's fingers were in his hair, running patterns over Ray's skull with his nails; Ray purred as his cold hands dug in to Tala's collar to escape the cool early morning air. Then they parted, gasping and panting, with chests heaving they looked back at each other.

"Can I see you again?" Ray whispered.

Tala looked at him lifting a hand to run his thumb over the neko-jin's lips as he thought on his answer and tried to understand why he wasn't simply walking away "_proh-shchai_"

His hand left Ray and he took a step back before turning and striding from the neko-jin without another word; Ray watched him go not understanding what Tala had said or whether it meant he wouldn't see the wolf again, but, if Tala hadn't wanted to see Ray again then surely he would have made it obvious "goodbye then" he murmured watching Tala disappear round the corner "be safe"

He too left the hotel entrance and walked up the street to turn in to a back alleyway in order to shorten his walk back to Tyson's house; he shivered in the early morning breeze that swept harder through the narrow street down which he walked. He'd never been good with the cold and now wasn't any different; he felt the loneliness he always felt after a short night spent with Tala, he wanted to stay with the wolf, wanted to be free to stay all day with the wolf just lying in bed and willing away the day-

Ray stopped; someone was following him, he couldn't see them or hear them but he sensed their presence louder than any sound could make. He turned round and swept the narrow passage behind him: nothing. Frowning he turned back round again and continued up the alley way walking quickly but giving away no feeling of fear. He tried to listen out for any sound, but whoever was following him kept as silent as the grave. Ray continued up the alleyway; the follower behind him began to creep closer, now Ray could hear his footsteps louder and louder, now the neko-jin could hear heavy breathing and now Ray could hear a low threatening snarl.

Then Ray was running; as fast as he could, he didn't know who was behind him and he didn't want to know, all he could think was to get away as fast as possible. He could still hear the footsteps behind him, and instead of quietening away they grew louder, heavier. So Ray ran faster. He skidded round a corner and continued up the passage way forcing himself not to look back. Was he still being followed? He didn't know. He turned right and almost tripped over. It wasn't much of a slow down.

But it was enough.

Ray cried out as someone grabbed him by his plaited ebony hair and pulled him back; Ray slammed in to someone who snarled in disgust. Ray looked up.

"Bryan!"

Bryan looked at him and then threw him roughly to the ground "so. _You're_ Tala's little secret!" he spat.

Ray tried to scramble to his feet but Bryan was too quick and the falcon kicked out; his boot hit Ray in the back of the legs and the neko-jin dropped back to the tarmac, flinging out his hands instinctively and grazing his palms on the gravel as he landed on hands and knees "what do you want, Bryan?"

Bryan snorted and kicked Ray; his boot hit Ray in the face pushing Ray down on to his back. Bryan stood over the tiger who was clutching his face as blood oozed between his fingers "you're pathetic" the flacon snorted, "what the fuck does Tala see in you?"

Ray's eyes widened in horror. How did Bryan know about Tala and him? "Ho-How do you know?" he gasped thickly between blood and pain. He wasn't sure what Bryan had done to his face but it hurt.

"I saw you, neko-jin!" sneered Bryan; he stood over Ray as the tiger tried to crawl away and pressed his boot to Ray's back pushing Ray to the floor "saw you kiss him! It's disgusting! You're nothing! Tala could do so much better than you!"

Bryan had never felt so angry; here he was, lost and confused about this new world. Lost without his captain, his friend…and now he knew why he no longer had Tala's friendship. It was all because of this cat thing under his foot! This animal who was nothing more than a dirty scrounger. Bryan had been replaced by Ray and that made him furious. Anger flamed inside him and he grabbed Ray by his throat pulling the tiger to his feet and ramming the ebony headed young man's head against the solid brick wall.

Ray cried out; his world blurred and span in front of him, pain throbbed through his head as he grappled at the calloused hand that gripped his throat squeezing hard, forcing the air out of Ray's lungs harder and harder. Ray wheezed as he continued to struggle; he had no power against Bryan, beyblading was completely different to a physical fight and though he had his marital skills Bryan had hold of his neck, squeezing Ray's pressure points. Making Ray powerless.

"You're nothing!" hissed Bryan "you deserved to be eaten alive by savage dogs!" he threw Ray against the wall and drove his foot deep in to the neko-jin's stomach. And that was when Ray realised: this wasn't a fight.

This was a beating.

Bryan was punishing him for even contemplating the thought of being with Tala; in Bryan's eyes Ray was nothing, he wasn't worthy to wipe the shit from Tala's boots. And now Bryan was giving out the punishment to make sure Ray understood how out of line he was "Bryan, what-"

Ray never got to finish his sentence; Bryan grabbed him, forced him down to the ground though Ray tried to fight back. The neko-jin fought off every attack, biting Bryan when the falcon's flesh came within reach; once he even managed to cling to the chain around Bryan's neck, managed to twist it which momentarily stopped the beating. But the chain snapped in his tightened grip and the look on Bryan's face was sadistic. He slammed his foot down in to Ray's chest again and again, kicked the neko-jin over and over, punched and thumped until Ray was nothing more than a bloody heap on the floor. And once he'd done that, he did it again.

* * *

"Want a coffee?"

Kai opened his eyes to look at the black coffee Tyson was holding out to him, he took it with a nod of thanks and commented, "you're up early. I do believe it's not even seven yet"

Tyson grinned "proud of me? I didn't even have an alarm on!"

Kai smirked softly "impressive, I'll give you that. Looks like my job of a captain is done, you now get up by yourself"

Tyson chuckled and drank from his own coffee as his face fell and he looked at Kai's bandaged face "wish we could sort you out just as easily. Did the doctors not say whether you'd get your sight back?"

Kai sighed, "they said time would only tell"

"When can you take the bandages off?"

"As soon as my face is no longer purple" the phoenix replied "which seems to be taking forever" he added in dull tones. For once, Kai's ice wall cracked; he was tired, not nearly as strong as he had once been and his ability to fight was beginning to fade.

"Hey, it could be so much worse!" Tyson pointed out brightly on seeing that his captain was in a place very dark.

"And how's that exactly?" Kai asked sceptically his red eyes narrowing slightly.

"You could be all old and wrinkly like grandpa!" Tyson grinned in to Kai's ever darkening face.

"There's that I suppose" muttered Kai not quite sure how else to comment.

They fell silent for a moment as the bright early sun shone down on the world; cars began to fill the roads as the rest of the world began to rise for the new day, the paper boy could be seen a few doors down throwing papers in to gardens yawning widely, both Kai and Tyson made mental notes to duck, while the postman whistled softly on his way round calling a greeting to the milkman who passed by on a milk truck that had heavy metal blasting from a radio on the passenger's seat.

"Kai, why do you keep getting bruises?"

Tyson's question took Kai by surprise and he glanced sideways at the dragon before shutting his eyes against the shining light "what makes you ask that?"

"Because I'm worried about you" Tyson answered easily "the whole team is. You think we don't notice but we do, Kai. We see all the bruises you try to hide, we see you wince every time you try to work a muscle that torn or pulled. It's painful for us to watch, Kai. We don't like to see you in such pain"

Kai was silent for a moment; he had thought he'd managed to keep his pain to the bare minimal but seemingly the Bladebreakers were more observant than he'd given them credit for "it's nothing" he said calmly "just injuries from my battle with Brooklyn"

"It's not though, is it?" Tyson whispered, "don't think we've not noticed the constant fights between Tala and Bryan. It's them, isn't it? They catch you when you try to break them up, that's where you keep getting these bruises on your face from"

Kai said nothing. There was no point in denying this fact but he would not admit to it either.

"Can't you get them to stop?" asked Tyson weakly; he knew he was pressing Kai for a subject Kai didn't wish to discuss but he couldn't help it, Kai was his friend and it was becoming more obvious by the day that Kai was suffering.

"Everything is under control" Kai's tone was sharp with a hint of finality to it, an indication this was all he would say on the matter "I appreciate your concern but there is nothing to be done"

Tyson sighed and pondered on whether to press the issue a little further "you can't break up your friends fights all the time, Kai. They'll end up killing you"

"That is my business not yours" Kai's voice became cold "now drop it, Tyson"

Tyson growled out of irritation "fine! But you'd better sort something out soon, Kai, otherwise you- is that Ray?"

Kai opened his eyes and squinted his eyes against the sun's glare; he could see a shadowy figure stumbling, swaying its way towards them, now Kai could see Ray's raven hair swinging out behind him loose. The neko-jin seem to have a hand to his head while the other grasped at walls and lampposts as the tiger tried to keep upright.

"Is he drunk?" asked Tyson baffled.

"Ray's never touched a drop in his life" Kai replied "and to answer your question, no. Ray isn't drunk"

Kai began to walk towards Ray; he wasn't sure what this warning was in the back of his mind but he knew something was wrong. Something wasn't right about the neko-jin; he didn't know where Ray had spent the night and he'd noticed the tiger often slipped out of Tyson's home at night to return only after the sun had risen in the sky. Kai wasn't thinking about that right now as he picked up his pace when Ray's body came clearer in to view under the sun above them; next thing he knew he was running with Tyson at his side as Ray swayed to a halt, lifted his arm waveringly before collapsing to the ground.

The phoenix caught the tiger before he could hit the tarmac; Kai fell to his knees as he held the bloody and beaten body in his arms, Ray's clothes were stained with blood which pulsed from his nose and a nasty gash on the side of his head. As one hand wafted up to Kai the phoenix saw the fingers were broken, there was something wrong with Ray's face and dark bruises patterned his neck along with tiny indents in the tender skin where fingernails had dug in. Not only this but Ray's breathing was laboured, rasping and the neko-jin seemed to having trouble as if his throat stung with each breath. He was shaking in Kai's arms golden eyes wide but unseeing; he made a noise if to say something but pain seem to stop him and his eyes closed. One leg was stuck out at an angle, he was whimpering and his forced cries intensified when Kai moved him slightly.

"Shh" whispered the phoenix "it's alright" he lay Ray down on the ground as Tyson fell to his knees beside the neko-jin.

"Ray! Ray! Can you hear me!?!" the dragon demanded "what happened?!"

"Tyson, not now" Kai ordered; he was about to say something else but something caught his eye. Tangled between Ray's broken fingers was the glint of silver; carefully Kai pulled from the bloody hand whispering softly to Ray when the neko-jin whimpered. It was a chain Kai realised; it was blackened with blood but Kai recognised the tiny pendant instantly "Bryan!"

Tyson looked up when Kai's voice was nothing more than a poisonous hiss "Bryan? Did he do this? Was it him that did this?!"

"Not now, Tyson" Kai stood up red eyes still focussed on the marred glinting chain in his hand "go back to the house. Call an ambulance, then come straight back to Ray"

"B-But where are you going?!" spluttered Tyson "you can't leave Ray like this!"

"I have something to do" Kai replied quietly, he turned to walk up the street as Tyson stood to run to the house "Tyson"

"Yes?"

"You say nothing of this chain to anyone, understand?"

Tyson gaped "what? But the police are going to want to know if there was any clue and-"

"You say nothing!" Kai looked back "understand?"

Tyson's mouth opened and closed but his shoulders sagged and he nodded.

"Look after Ray" Kai nodded in return before turning and walking quickly up the street to a sleek black car "I have my own method of dealing with the clues!"

His red eyes darkened with fury.

* * *

**Russian Words: **_'Proh-shchai'_ – 'Farewell'.

* * *

Well, there we are. Another chapter over and done with. What will Kai do once he's found Bryan? And how will Bryan feel now he's beaten the crap out of Ray? More to the point, how will Tala feel about it when he finds out?

The answers to these questions and more coming in the next chapters.

Please review and tell me your thoughts.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki


	4. Wrath Distorted To Justice

Wow, so it has been a WHILE. I don't know why, inspiration for this story just left me. I had like half the chapter written up for MONTHS, and then the other day the last part came!

Last Time: Bryan had beaten Ray. Kai knew that Bryan had done it and now we're about to discover Tala's reaction.

WARNINGS: Foul language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor any of its characters.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human**

**Chapter Four: Wrath Distorted To Justice**

Kai's Manor was quiet; the servants were all busy attending to their various chores at the west wing of the house while Spencer and Tala were lounging in the second sitting room of the east wing, Tala turned a page in his book wondering as he did so why he was trying to read when he'd never picked a book up in his life. He supposed it was a way of distraction; the TV hadn't managed to absorb him enough to clear his mind of the one person who kept invading his thoughts. He turned another page ignoring the quizzical looks Spencer kept shooting in his direction: Tala never read any books.

Bryan flung open the door and staggered in to the room; he was exhausted and bruised, stronger as he was than Ray it didn't mean the neko-jin hadn't given as good as he got. The falcon's shirt was bloody, his lip was bust and there were bite marks and contusions up and down his arms; his right eye was swollen and the right side of his jaw ached where Ray had managed to kick him in the face.

Tala looked up "you've got blood on your top" he said nonchalantly; he still hadn't forgiven Bryan for the falcon's behaviour at the Dickinson dinner, Tala didn't give a shit about what the others had thought of Bryan but presentation was everything.

"I can see that" Bryan replied shortly.

Spencer shifted in his seat slightly; Tala had told him to stay out of any fights the wolf and falcon had and, unlike Kai, Spencer obeyed every command Tala gave him. Tala was the leader and Spencer was his solider. However, that did not mean Spencer liked to watch Kai get caught up in the middle of the savage pair; when the fights between Tala and Bryan became physical they were a danger to themselves and others.

Tala put his book down and gave the falcon the once over "you look like you've been fighting with an animal"

"I have"

Tala arched a fiery eyebrow but said nothing; this wasn't the first time Bryan had come back from some sort of fight, Tala never asked who Bryan beat up, he'd decided he wasn't that interested.

Turning back to the TV that still flickered away on the wall the wolf grabbed the remote and increased the volume making it clear he had no further words for the falcon; Bryan stood there silently as the anger inside him rose once more. Did Tala not want to know where Bryan had been? Did he not want to know who Bryan had beaten the crap out of? Bryan's pale eyes narrowed; he'd wanted to see Tala's face when the wolf found out who Bryan had left in a bloody heap, but redhead didn't seem to be bothered.

Spencer watched the falcon; he could see Bryan's temper rising with every beating second, he knew a fight was approaching. Over the passed months Spencer had watched with a silent stare as the team, that had once been so strong and solid, had begun to fall apart. It had all started with Tala's sudden secrecy and refusal for company; since he'd been released from hospital the wolf had barely spent time with his team. In fact, Spencer didn't know where Tala went. It was Tala's sudden lack of interest in the team that had consumed his life for the best part of ten years that started flamed Bryan's sparks of anger in to the raging fire it had now become; the falcon resented Tala's frequent absences, his sudden urge to keep secrets and his abrupt disinterest in Bryan.

Tala had also lost his interest in Kai and Spencer, but these two felt it less; Tala had never really be close to Spencer while Kai had the Bladebreakers which kept him more than occupied. It had been Bryan who Tala had been close to; they'd known each other for more than twelve years, had protected each other's back in the dark hells of the Abbey and had taken punishment from Boris as a team. If one of them was beaten, then so was the other. It was how it was. It was how it had always been.

Until now.

Now Tala didn't want to know and it made Bryan angry, it made him furious; to tell truth, it made the falcon's blood boil. Tala was his Captain, his ally, his comrade and then, from out of the blue, Tala was distant, separate and emotionless. Bryan hated it. He wanted things the way they had once been, the way they had always been; he didn't like change…and he _hated_ this new Tala.

He hadn't stopped staring at the wolf and he knew the redhead could feel his pale eyes piercing the back of his head; but Tala's power of ignoring things he had no interest in was stronger than his ability to lead this team of fucked up lunatics, he paid Bryan no heed.

This only angered Bryan more and more; he wanted Tala to look at him, he wanted to see the look in Tala's eyes when the wolf discovered his little secret was out, Bryan wanted to wipe that smug expression from Tala's face-

The door slammed open.

Kai stood there, a tower of dark blackened fury that oppressed the room. Once more Spencer tensed; it had been a long time since he'd seen the phoenix this dark and menacing. Usually, it was Tala's fiery temper the team had to look out for, even Bryan's constant violence was nothing compared to what the wolf was capable of; but when Kai was pushed, when he was really tested to his limit, when someone had violated one of his most precious rules, he outstripped them all.

The dark crimson eyes swept through the room and landed on their target in a matter of seconds "you're a dead man walking, Kuznetsov" his voice was calm, quiet and even relaxed…but the Russians knew Kai too well to let themselves be deceived.

"You have a problem?" Tala enquired, he did not look from the TV screen but his focus had switched from the scene in front of him to the scene around him. Tala didn't need his eyes to be in complete knowledge of the situation.

As hierarchy went, Tala was the top of the pack. When Kai bothered to call himself a part of the team he came second, Bryan and Spencer came under them. Ian, dead for two years now, had been at the bottom of the pile. However, that all changed when Kai's fury gave him power over Tala's leadership; when Kai was angry, the whole team was at risk.

Kai stepped in to the room and held something up "look what I found, Bryan"

Wrapped and entwined round his pale slender fingers was a silver chain, on it the pendant that had been given to Bryan by his father when he'd been a small boy, before the clutches of Boris had stolen him. Bryan was never seen without it, and even now he lifted his hand to his neck almost as if he was convinced he'd find it there.

By this time Tala was looking, his interest had peaked; it wasn't often Kai Hiwatari let his temper control him "that's Bryan's chain" he said coolly "what's that doing in your hand?"

"I have a better question" Kai took another step towards Bryan "what was this chain doing caught between Ray's fingers?"

These words sent a ripple through the room, Bryan glanced at Tala; the wolf's jaw had tightened as he had considered the facts presented before him, the chain and the blood staining Bryan's clothes, the teeth marks etched in to the falcon's skin. It all added up to one thing. And that one thing hadn't bother Tala…until Ray's name had been mentioned.

However, despite this, Tala kept his cool.

"Kon? It was Kon that was beaten?"

"Beaten doesn't really cover it" Kai replied, his eyes never left Bryan and his voice continued in the deadpan tone "he's a bag of broken bones"

"I see" Tala's steely gaze now rested on the falcon "I believe you may have pushed the bar too far this time, Bryan, Kai is not going to forgive you for this"

"And what about you?" asked Bryan snidely.

Tala's expression darkened "why should I care?" he responded sharply.

"I don't know" Bryan stared back "why _should_ you care, Tala?"

"I really don't know what you mean" the wolf replied coldly "if I was you, I'd be asking that question to Kai" he turned from the scene to the large windows that lined one wall.

"I'm going to give you three seconds, Bryan" Kai walked forwards for a third time, now, however, he didn't stop until there was only a foot between the falcon and he "I will give you three seconds to explain why you mutilated Ray, before I send you in to the pits of hell"

"Want to know who's fucking that pathetic cat?" asked Bryan. The words came out faster than he'd meant them to, but Kai had only given him three seconds to speak and Bryan wasn't going to go down without dragging the whole truth out in to the light. This was all Tala's fault, anyway; if he had been paying more attention to the team and less attention to the one person Bryan hated more than Boris then none of this would have happened.

Whatever Kai had been expecting the falcon to say, it hadn't been that "what's that got to do with anything?"  
Bryan pointed, he pointed at Tala, he pointed at the tall redhead still facing the window. He pointed at the wolf who had turned his back on them "ask him"

Up to this point Spencer had been attempting not to seem interested in the goings on around him; but when Bryan pointed and utter those two words, Spencer forgot about keeping his feeling neutral and hidden. Now, he stared. Stared at Bryan's hand, his accusing finger which Spencer then followed with his gaze to the tall lean figure standing in front of the windows.

There was silence, no one really knew what to say next; this was going far deeper than any of them were comfortable with. Kai's half hidden face turned on Tala; he looked round the bandages at the redhead "is this true?"

"Why should it be true?" the wolf replied "Bryan's not known for his honesty"

"He's not known for his imagination either" was the answer to this, Kai's stare burned in to Tala's skull "if Bryan was going to lie then he wouldn't come up with something so elaborate…unless, it was true"

Tala said nothing, he didn't look round; he kept his back to them.

"I'll ask you again, Tala" Kai's voice was softer than before "is what Bryan claims true?"

Tala didn't reply. He stared frostily at the glass willing Bryan to burn in hell; over these passed months, he'd found the falcon's attitude, his very presence, nothing short of a bore. Bryan's constant anger, wrath, his constant need for violence…once upon a time Tala had found it useful, now it was boring.

Kai did not need a response, Tala's silence was more of reply than any words he needed; instead he thought back to Ray, the neko-jin's behaviour. Of course, the phoenix had noticed Ray's sudden disappearances at the strangest of times; his lack of openness had awakened Kai's interest for the simple reason that Ray normally kept no secrets. But Kai had never expected this. The fact that Tala and Ray had even found an ability to interact with each other was more of a surprise than anything else. However, Kai hid his bewildered reaction and addressed his next question.

"How long?" he asked, "how long has it been going on?"

"Eight months" said the wolf. There seemed no point in denying the truth, it was clear Kai would not believe any lie Tala might suggest.

"The hospital" Kai realised "that's where it started"

"He was there when I woke up" Tala replied in his high cold voice "everything span out from that point"

The phoenix nodded his understanding, he and Spencer shared a glance before Kai turned his attention back on Bryan "and you found out, I suppose"

Bryan snorted in disgust "saw him. Outside some crappy hotel, could barely keep his hands off!"

Kai nodded again, and glanced once more at Spencer. The whale stood, his large frame was bulkier than Bryan's though they were of the same height. He was standing, at Kai's request, because the last thing they needed was to let Tala near Bryan. As yet the wolf had made no reaction, but he was so unpredictable it wasn't worth the risk. So Spencer took his heavy stance between the falcon and the wolf.

Bryan grunted with derision when he saw this "better stay there, Spencer. We don't want Tala losing his cool and attacking me" he sneered at the redhead's back "I know the son of bitch is about to snap"

"Shut up" ordered Kai shortly.

His next movements were such a blur Bryan had no time to defend himself. The phoenix slammed the falcon in to the wall; from somewhere to the left a vase wobbled on its stand and rocked dangerously, a picture shivered on the wall as Bryan's back hit the wall so hard the foundations of the very room shook. As a rule the falcon was stronger than the phoenix, but Kai's fury had enflamed him, his strength was phenomenal and powerful.

Bryan's fist flew out in a bid to attack back, but Kai was faster and his hand had wrapped around the falcon's throat and squeezed before Bryan had finished his assault "I can understand why you did it" Kai's voice was so low and calm that any who didn't know would have mistaken his mood "I can understand how you feel" his crimson eyes narrowed and his grip on the falcon's throat tightened "but I told you three years ago that if you ever hurt Ray again, I'd kill you"

Even though the air was being choked from him, even though Kai's hand clenched his throat Bryan managed to leer "right…like to…see you…try!" he grunted half with laughter, his mirth died however, when Kai's fingers crushed in to his neck. The falcon was powerless, unable to attack back now that the oxygen from his lungs was diminished; he tried to recall what Boris had taught them, tried to remember the old fighting techniques he'd been brought up with. Boris had taught him so many things and yet he couldn't remember any of them.

He didn't believe he was going to die. For all his promises Kai didn't have it in him to kill. But then, Bryan was pretty sure the phoenix would find Bryan a punishment worse than death; Kai was good at knowing what his victims hated more than anything, he knew a person's weakness. Already he would be concocting a plan, creating a punishment so foul to make Bryan regret what he'd done.

But Bryan didn't regret. For years he'd been longing to beat that neko-jin's face in, and now the knowledge that Tala consorted with Ray had pushed Bryan over the edge. He would never regret punching, kicking, beating, thumping that tiger. He'd wanted to make Ray pay for the victory he'd cost Bryan those three years ago. He'd wanted to make Ray pay for slipping in between the falcon and the wolf.

"Kai, put him down" Tala's order cut through the room in a harsh voice "killing Bryan won't make any difference"

The phoenix glanced at Tala, half puzzled by the calm reaction and angered by it also; it seemed pretty clear that Tala was using Ray, and that incensed Kai. Ray was a friend, and Kai hated Bryan for beating him, but hated Tala more for using him. Because now Ray's life hung in the balance and Kai knew, that if Ray died, it would be _his_ fault.

However, he did loosen his hold of the falcon's neck and took a step back; Bryan slumped against the wall, hand massaging his throat and choking. His pale eyes flicked to the redhead still stood by the window and a malicious grin spread across his face "what's the matter, Tala?" asked the falcon "don't you understand the situation? I beat the shit out of your fuck buddy. I brought your precious dirty secret out in to the light. And you have no reaction?"

The wolf said nothing.

Bryan continued to goad "I enjoyed it, you know. I enjoyed watching the blood well up in his face, I liked the fear in his eyes, the way he tried and failed to fight back. I enjoyed it, Tala, I enjoyed every minute of it" still no reaction "nothing to say? No vows of revenge? Aww" Bryan pouted mockingly "and here I was hoping you'd make me suffer"

"Oh I'm going to make you suffer" for the first time Tala turned, his expression was icy his top lip curled in a snarl "I'm make you pay, don't you worry"

"Really?" Bryan raised his eyebrows "what you going to do? Beat the shit out of me?"

"Oh no, nothing so crass" Tala replied coldly, he began to walk towards the falcon, glaring Spencer in to stillness as the whale started to move forwards "no doubt the police will know about Ray, no doubt they'll want to know who the culprit is" now a smile drew across Tala's own lips "I'm going to tell them, I'm going to tell them _everything_"

Bryan stared; he blinked, and blinked again "is that it?" he gaped not sure whether to sneer or laugh out right "is that the best you can come up with?"

"Oh, you'll be in hell" Tala assured him "think about it, Bryan. With your known violence you'll on a one way ticket to prison. And think about that for a moment. Think about the bars, the cells, the locks, and the constant surveillance. Does that remind you of something? Of somewhere you used to be?"

Now the falcon and the wolf were face to face.

Tala's eyes flashed and his teeth bared "oh, I'm going to make you suffer! I'll see you rot in hell!"

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I guess Tala's pretty mad, huh.

Anyway, that's chapter four over and done with.

Please leave a review.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki


	5. Dancing With Fire

Well, hey there! I finally got this chapter up, after a nudge or two, and I'm proud to say it took me only ONE DAY! Woo, that's such an achievment for me!

Anyway, Last Time: Kai confront Bryan, who confronted Tala, who was then confronted by Kai who attacked Bryan who confronted Tala again who swore that he would see Bryan in hell...Things got a little tense, haha!

So yeah, it took me a long time to get this chapter up. I haven't updated much at all lately. First I was obessed with Vampire Diaries, then Full Metal Alchemist and now the second season of Vampire Diaries is back it looks like I'll be re-obsessed with it. Anyone else love the scene between Tyler and Jeremy, I just thought that was one of the best scenes in the whole episode.

For those of you in America, yeah I know Vampire Diaries started some time ago, but I live in England and we're only on the first episode, but nearly the second - I can't wait! And then there's Fullmetal Alchemist, I LOVE Fullmetal Alchemst, everything about it is just perfect. Apprently Fullmetal Alchemist Brother Hood is supposed to be better, but I don't know, I think I'm going to be one of the ones who prefers the first. Still, I'm sure I'll enjoy Brotherhood too!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor any of its characters. Any unknown characters mostl likely belong to me.

WARNINGS: Bad language. Bryan (he is rather insulting throughout the whole thing and to various things). Possibility of mistake - I have been through it but there's always the one that got away as P!nk says.

Enjoy!

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**Human**

**Chapter Five: Dancing With Fire**

The room was a box. It was cold, and the only source of light was through the tiny window that looked out over the road which swept passed the police station. He sat at his plastic table on his plastic chair and seethed. He hated it here. Hated it. It was cold, almost dank and the resemblance to the Abbey made his skin crawl; right now, he _hated_ Tala. But he was also _bored_.

Across the room, standing silent by the door, a police man stood in his dark uniform, his expression blank and his gaze fixated on the wall opposite him; a couple of times Bryan had tried to taunt him, merely for a lax source of amusement, but the man had completely ignored him. As a rule Bryan didn't take to being ignored, he resented it, but even he saw that attacking this man in anger would only land him in more shit than he already had to wade through.

The police had come to pick him up almost two hours ago and Bryan had come with them quietly, which had not been his intention; but the passed hours had seemed almost surreal, because a part of him still could not believe that Tala had actually ratted him out. He'd watched in a daze as Tala had calmly walked to the phone, and picked it up to call the police; in cold high tones the wolf had explained the whole situation before commanding the police's presence within ten minutes.

Bryan had tried to run, it was stupid but he'd had the silly notion of going on the run; Tala had put paid to that plan too, with one foot he'd kicked Bryan down and with his second sent the falcon sprawling. Even through his dark angry mind Bryan wasn't stupid enough to fight against Tala; Bryan used his strength to fight battles, Tala used his brain.

No matter how he tried to look at it, it would always be brains over brawn.

And Tala would always be smarter than him.

Sitting now in this cold room Bryan wondered what his second interrogation would be like; his first one had been a poor excuse of an interview, the man who had questioned him had been a thin gawky man who wasn't worth mud compared to Boris and his questioning techniques. So far Bryan hadn't said a word, and he didn't intend to; at the moment he was being charged with aggressive violence with intent to harm.

This would change to manslaughter if Ray died.

Bryan found it strange that he might of actually succeeded in killing Ray; he didn't care of course, he'd rather dance on the tiger's grave than see that guy again, but it he still found it odd that after all this time he'd finally managed to obey Boris's order to kill Ray Kon. It hadn't quite dawned on him yet.

He sighed and stretched; far from being uneasy about the situation he was bored, he'd expected the thought of being shoved in a tiny cell would send shivers down him, and at first it had, but now he was bored, stiff and impatient. He'd been waiting for three quarters of an hour as his interrogation had been interrupted by a call which had caused the inspector to leap from his chair almost like a startle rabbit.

Bryan wasn't rich enough to hire a lawyer, he'd never needed any money; Tala had always funded him, but now Tala had hung him out to dry with no sight of support. Bryan had pondered if Kai might aid him, but the phoenix had disappeared moments before the police had arrived and Kai had still been angered at Bryan.

He lent back in his chair and pushed the front feet from the floor, something which Tala had always berated him for; tipping his head back he murmured a bored curse in a his Mother tongue and yawned widely. The door opened and the inspector from before walked quickly in, a file clasped under one arm. Bryan resettled his chair and looked expectantly at him.

"About fucking time" the falcon leant forward to the large tape recorder that sat at the edge of the table "shall we get on with this?" he pressed the record button and looked back at the inspector.

To his surprise the inspector turned the recorder back off and looked down at Bryan with distaste "Mr Kuznotsiv, you are being released on bail"

"Wha-" Bryan blinked "how'd that happen? I don't have any money"

"It has all been arranged," replied the inspector through tight lips "the bill has been settled by Mr Kai…Hiwaterry"

"Hiwatari" Bryan corrected "and it's Kuznetsov, not Kuznotsiv. Get it right" he then realised fully what the man had just said "wait a fucking minute! You're telling me Hiwatari has had me released!" he sat bolt upright in his chair.

"Not quite" a voice replied from the door which had been left standing.

For a moment the strange figure stood darkened and shadowed in the door way, but as he stepped in Bryan lifted his eyebrows "you? What you doing here?"

"I'm your new lawyer, Mr Kuznetsov" Hiro Granger answered emotionlessly, he stalked forwards looking crisp and smart in his clean cut black suit "I shall be representing you"

"Oh? And what do I pay you with exactly?"

"Mr Hiwatari has paid for my fee as well as your bail"

Bryan snorted in disbelief "you're kidding right? Fuck, Hiwatari's full of surprises today" he watched as Hiro took the file the inspector had handed out to him, now he placed it on the table, Bryan tilted his head "so I'm free"

"No, Mr Kuznetsov, you are not free, at least, not in the terms you mean"

"What's that mean?" Bryan asked "you could be a little less evasive, Granger, I didn't even know you were a fucking lawyer"

"I mainly represent the BBA" Hiro explained "however, as Mr Hiwatari has especially requested me, I have accepted his fee"

"How kind of you" sneered the falcon "now what d'ya mean I'm not free, if I'm not free then why is my bail paid?" he looked from Hiro to his inspector.

The inspector cleared his throat "I think it would be best if Mr Hiwaterry explained the situation"

"Yes" Hiro agreed as he turned to the inspector "you may leave us now as Mr Kuznetsov is no longer under arrest"

The inspector hesitated "Mr Kuznetsov is a violent person, we cannot just allow him back on the streets! He's nearly killed someone, Mr Kon may yet die if you had forgotten-"

"No, I have not forgotten" replied Hiro in a harder voice than was intended, he and the neko-jin had become friends over the last months and it was all he could do not to voice his own opinion on the matter "but Mr Hiwatari believes that Mr Kuznetsov is in need of help not punishment, and I agree" he gave the inspector a warning look "now, we have no need of you any longer, please leave"  
the inspector was clearly insulted by Hiro's behaviour, but there was nothing he could do; stiffly he turned from Hiro and Bryan, and nodded once at the police guard by the door before stalking out angrily with the policeman on his heels.

"That's got rid of him" Hiro muttered as he searched through the file he'd opened up.

"Uh, wait a fucking minute" Bryan said, "what do you mean _help_? That sounds like you're sending me to a fucking mental home"

"Not quite" Hiro replied not really paying attention "and don't swear at me, Bryan, it's rude and I'm your lawyer"

"Yeah, well I don't want a fucking lawyer!"

"Tough, you got one" Hiro looked directly at Bryan for the first time "look, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, as far as I'm concerned you should be locked away for the rest of your miserable life"

"Then why don't you turn around and fuck off back to the shit hole you came from?" Bryan snarled.

"That won't happen" a second figure loomed darkly in the doorway, but this time Bryan didn't need to see to know who it was.

"What the fuck are you doing, Hiwatari!" he snapped.

Kai stepped in to the room and shut the door behind him "saving your sorry neck" he replied calmly as he came to stand next to Hiro "it's clear you look after yourself, so I have to do it for you"

"Screw you! I can look after myself just fine!"

"Clearly" the phoenix's red eyes flashed and he frowned down at the falcon "don't test my patience, Bryan, I might yet change my mind"

"Change your mind from what?" asked Bryan with a sense of foreboding.

"From this" Kai reached in to his jacket pocket and pulled out a leaflet, he set it on the table and slid it over to the falcon.

Bryan snatched it up and glared at it his fury mounting as he read it "you have got to fucking joking!" he threw it back on the table "what's this?"

"It's a retreat" Kai replied in his usual detached voice.

"How enchanting, what's that got to do with me?"

"You're going there"

Bryan laughed, "no I'm fucking not! I'm not going to some crazy home just so you can pack me off and claim that you're the _good_ guy!"

"That's not why I'm doing it" Kai answered with a dark look "I have paid for your bail, Bryan, but only on the condition that you attend this retreat"

"Well then you can get a refund, because there's no way in hell that you will see me _dead_ at that place" Bryan flicked the leaflet away from him as if it were filth.

"You don't have much choice in the matter" the phoenix said, "if you refuse to go then I will get a refund and I will to it that you spend the rest of your life in a dank filthy prison cell"

"Very well" Kai conceded, he turned away "I'm sure the police won't mind if I organise your prison cell arrangements, I assume you have no complaints about sharing a cell with Boris-"

Bryan stood up so fast his chair went skidding across the floor "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

Kai turned to look over his shoulder "on the contrary, I would take pleasure in the thought of you locked up for the rest of your life, sharing a cell with Boris"

Bryan stared stuck part way through horror and disbelief "you dare…you fucking dare! If you lock me up with Boris I'll fucking kill you!"

"You are against sharing a cell with Boris?"

"Yes, I'm fucking against it! And you know why!" Bryan held up a shaking fist "I am not going within a foot of that man! Not ever again!"

"Then you have no complaints about attending this retreat" the phoenix replied smoothly.

Bryan snarled, his anger flared and for a moment he wanted to pull that phoenix down; he stood there, unable to move forwards, Hiro stood watching him with interest as Bryan battled his own fury "you bastard, Hiwatari, you fucking bastard!"

"I take it you've agreed to the retreat" the phoenix turned back "good, I've already made the arrangements. You're to take the ten o'clock train tomorrow, a taxi will pick you up from the station and take to the retreat. You have the rest of today to pack"

Bryan snarled "don't think I'll make this easy for you, Hiwatari! I'll make that retreat go through hell!"

"If you do any such thing then you will end up straight back here"

Bryan's lip curled; he wanted to affect Kai, make phoenix show some emotion, anything. it drove him crazy that he could never make the phoenix react, unless the Bladebreakers were mentioned "maybe I should go to the hospital tonight" he said angrily, only to make Kai react "finish off what I started"  
Kai's reaction was so fast Bryan barely had time to register as he went crashing down to the ground; he grunted and rolled over on to his stomach before pushing himself up, the taste of warm blood flooded his mouth. Bryan looked up to retaliate and reached forwards to pull Kai down; but Kai's face was dark, angered more than Bryan had seen in a while. He knew he was dancing with fire if he angered Kai further. He wasn't that stupid.

"I'll say this once" Kai stood over the falcon as Hiro stepped automatically forward to prevent another attack from either blader "you are not to go within one hundred metres of Ray"

Then Kai turned and walked from the room without another word; Bryan called after him, cursed him and threw his fist hard to the wall, he grabbed the chair and threw it across the room, before pushing the table so hard it collided in to the wall. He wanted to say he wouldn't go to the crazy place, he wanted to laugh in Kai's face and say that eternity spent locked up with Boris meant nothing to him.

But that wasn't true.

That was far from the truth and he knew it.

Worst of all, Kai knew it too.

Hiro had managed to save his file and now had it slipped under one arm; without saying anything he left his client and returned to the corridor to find Kai waiting for him.

Hiro looked at him "are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I expect we'll discover soon enough" the phoenix replied turning with the older brother as they walked down the corridor leaving the crashes and bangs behind them "I have to thank you for your help"

"You paid me, Kai, a lot of money. If the fee hadn't been so big I would not have done it" Hiro answered in a flat voice.

"That only shows that everyone has their price"

"It also shows that you are doing a lot to help Bryan" Hiro retorted "why? What on earth could your reason possibly be? I thought you cared about Ray"

"Whether or not I care about Ray is irrelevant" the phoenix answered distantly "the truth is that Bryan is a member of the Blitzkrieg Boys just as I am, we have an old pact to look after one another"

"Seems to me Tala rolled right over that pact" Hiro reasoned "he's the one that called the police after all, which I don't understand" Hiro looked at Kai as they turned in to another corridor "why did Tala call the police? I wouldn't have thought he gave a damn about Ray, even if Bryan has nearly killed him"

"The reason why Tala contacted the police is none of your concern"

"And why not?"

"Because it is Bryan who is your client and not Tala"

"But if Tala wants Bryan punished there has to be a reason" Hiro persisted.

"There is"

"So what is it?"

"I'm not telling you"

"Kai, Tala wanted Bryan punished. Don't you think that says something? If Tala wants Bryan punished then you should to, you know Bryan deserves to rot in hell for what he's done. And what are you doing? Sending him to a retreat!"

"As I said, I have the pact of the Blitzkrieg Boys to consider"

"You mean the one Tala's completely ignored?"

"Tala and I are different" Kai replied as they reached the front doors and opened one to let the sunlight pour through "Tala has no regard for any kind of promise, unless they are useful to him"

"Seems to me he has the right idea"

Kai looked at him "I would have thought that you were in favour of helping rather than punishing"

They stepped outside and the warm sunlight hit them, Hiro gritted his teeth "Ray is my friend, he could die"

"I'm aware of that"

"And yet you still help Bryan"

"If I do not keep the word I give then how can people rely on anything I say?"

Hiro shrugged "maybe, though I'd still rather see Bryan locked up. I think the whole world would rather Bryan was put away"

"Then the whole world will just have to deal with the decision I have made" for the first time Kai's voice sounded forceful, almost like he wasn't sure he'd made the right choice.

"Hmm, you might have problems explaining that to _him_" Hiro gestured over Kai's shoulder.

The phoenix turned. Standing on the road side with the cars spinning passed behind him, Tala stood, tall and silent, his arms were folded and sunglasses shielded his eyes; he watched as Kai turned to look at him and they shared a moment before Kai looked away again. The phoenix was going to ignore him it appeared. Tala's eyes narrowed.

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And that's another chapter DONE! Next chapter we will arrive at the retreat and we'll finally get to meet the other star of the story - Brooklyn! Woo, now we can get on to the good yaoi-ness! And of course the relationship between Tala and Ray will also take a few knocks, once the others find out about them and the White Tigers arrive. I wasn't going to have them in, but then I figured that Ray is kinda on his deathbed and I suppose they would rather be there, huh? And of course we have Kai drifting in and out as he's apt to do.

Still, that's for the next chapters.

Until then, my cherry peeps, bu-bye!

Please leave a review.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki


	6. Pandora's Box Opened

**Review Replies  
**black wolf-kot - Hey, I know you have an account but I can't seem to reply to your review so I wanted to put it up here just so you knew I hadn't forgotten about you :) Yup, Bryan's a crazy boy and he's gonna pay for what he did - Muhaha, I'm so evil! As for Ray, it's gonna be a few chapters, I'm not sure how to play Tala and Ray just yet, any ideas I'm happy to hear. As for the Farewell, take it anyway you want I guess, I don't know what's gonna happen to Ray or Tala yet so it could mean anything. Anyway, thank you so much for your review and I'm sorry it took me so long to reply, as I said, I couldn't log on to reply to your review *shrugs* just one of those things but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Well HELLO! And I do believe I have another update for you! YAY! I do hope you enjoy this chapter, I had the first part typed up and then the last section just came to me with some fucking good ideas if I do say so myself :D

So, on to the story. Last Time: Bryan was saved by Kai and sent to retreat though he'd rather spend jail time with Boris, haha! Tala saw this and wasn't too happy about this, though whether he actually cares for Ray remains to be seen...maybe he just doesn't appreciate his plaything being taken away from him, maybe he wants Ray for other reasons...we don't know...not even I know that yet.

WARNINGS: Possible spelling mistakes and bad grammar, I have been through it but ya never know. Bad language. Bryan. The threat over Bryan's head.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach...Well, no, I don't own Bleach but it's not what I meant to say. Uhh, silly me, wrong Anime. I don't own Beyblade, nor any of its characters.

OH, and Brooklyn FINALLY makes an appearance! YAY!

Enjoy!

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**Human**

**Chapter Six: Pandora's Box Opened**

The Granger household had always been somewhat of a perplexity to one Kai Hiwatari, for the simple reason he could never quite expect the expected; it was something of a daily interest. For example, Tyson came in to the kitchen. This was not in itself an unusual event given the fact Tyson was practically glued to the room; the fact that he was naked was also, somewhat unfortunately, not a rare occurrence.

What was odd was the large garish orange and purple hat accompanied with bells and, to top the whole thing off so to speak, a bustle of flowers complete with card telling Tyson he was the best blader in the world.

It was a rather queer gift from a rather obsessed fan.

Kai lowered the steaming coffee from his lips "out"

Tyson jumped.

He shrieked in horror.

Frantically he covered the organs, which, apparently, were completely vital – Kai disagreed.

The phoenix blinked "out" he repeated.

The dragon whined, looked longingly at the fridge; but, with a heavy sigh, turned sadly away and left the kitchen.

Kai returned to his coffee completely unfazed; it wasn't the first time the Bladebreakers had been subjected to the disturbance – nay, horror – of Tyson walking around in his birthday suit. Birthday suit was a bleak description when describing someone whose manhood could be compared to…say…a baby mushroom. Up above the phoenix's head the clock ticked on with little care whose time it was passing; it was passing slowly, ticking away with incredible aging. The phone sat beside Kai silent as ever, no one had called; the hospital had not told them of Ray's consciousness.

That was because Ray was not awake; he was still in that hospital strung up to wires and tubes, with that irksome machine beeping away telling them Ray was strong and alive, except he wasn't. His heart may be beating, his lungs may be filling with air over and over, but the neko-jin was not there; his eyes were not open and he was not moving. He'd been in hospital a day and a night and he had not woken; he hadn't risen to the sound of Hilary's tears, Max's great distress or even Tyson vows of revenge on whomever it was who had done this to him.

Kai hadn't told them; they could live on easier if they didn't know the truth, the truth would cause problems with a very precarious balance that was on constantly on the point of crumbling. It had taken Tyson years to persuade the other teams to trust the Blitzkrieg Boys and even now some weren't sure; the Blitzkrieg Boys were disliked universally but at least they were given a modicum of civility and Kai was even graced with a little respect, though not from the White Tigers who still hadn't forgiven him for the Black Dranzer incident despite Ray's many attempts to mollify them.

And back round came the circle of Kai's thoughts.

In truth, he wasn't sure about his decision to allow Bryan in to the retreat rather than toss him in jail; Hiro was against the idea, but Hiro was against anything Kai did on principle. Spencer thought…what did Spencer think? Kai doubted he thought anything at all; it was the Whale's job to obey orders, not think.

But whose orders did Spencer obey?

Kai hadn't seen Tala since the wolf had watched him free Bryan from a prison sentence; the phoenix knew this was going to cause a clash between them, but Tala had Kai's Captain instincts riled the moment the phoenix had discovered the liaison between the wolf and the tiger. Ray was considered a friend and team-mate, not to mention the only other member of the Bladebreakers with his head not screwed on back to front. Tala had turned the honest forth-coming tiger in to a liar and a sneak, and now because of the wolf's hold over him Ray was now lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life.

It didn't sit well with Kai.

None of it.

"How long am I going to have to wait before you acknowledge my existence?"

Kai glanced up from his coffee and his crimson eyes settled on the tall straight figure of Tala who stood dark in the doorway, the morning light streaming in behind him. The steam from his coffee shimmered in front of his eyes and Tala seemed to ripple along with it, almost as he weren't there at all, but merely a mirage of different colours behind the protection of steam. The phoenix lowered the coffee and set it down on the table "I wasn't aware anyone had given you permission to enter this property"

"Since when did I take in to consideration the permission of someone else?"

"Does that include the large percentage of your life that you credited to Boris?" Tala ignored this and stepped fully in to the room; he gave the kitchen a look of distain to which Kai replied emotionlessly "if you're going to be rude about the décor then at least have the manners to shut the door"

Again Tala said nothing and he made no move to the door; instead he looked out the window before turning his back on the light and leaning against the row of cupboards so he could look straight at the phoenix with a hard cold blue stare. Kai was unfazed by this however, and merely took a sip of his coffee without reaction.

The silence in the room was loud, every throb of the clock was twice as long as the one previous; it had been like this for a while, the tension between the wolf and the phoenix. When they'd been young, and locked in the cells of Biovolt, they hadn't been friends as such, but there had been a locked connection between them – the unspoken promise to work as a team to escape. It had taken them a while and Kai had been forced to betray the Demolition Boys to make it happen, but it had worked; there had been a few false starts, Black Dranzer had been a major upset in Tala's mind and Kai genuine care for the Bladebreakers had nearly destroyed the whole plan. But despite that, and the distrust that had grown with them, they had succeeded to escape and live outside Boris: better yet, they'd managed to drag a team out with them.

And that team had been strong, unstoppable even; together they were scary, locked outside and pushed away because their past had damaged them. But that hadn't mattered; they had each other to back up, each other to rely on in case of trouble, nothing could damage that bond between them.

That had been the truth.

At the time.

Now, it was different.

What had been sealed in a bond so strong one could touch it was now broken and laying in shatters at their feet. It had started with Kai's friendship with the Bladebreakers; he had become the team-leader of his own team and that team had welcomed him with warmth and true friendship, a connection Kai did not have with his Russian counterparts. They were not friends, they were part a team that fought together but did not join; the phoenix's fondness for the Bladebreakers had driven a wedge between him and his old team and it had brought friction that threw the Bladebreakers right in the middle.

But that had not bothered Kai; as long Tala and the others did nothing to Bladebreakers he was unmoved by the apathy growing in to something stronger. Of course the phoenix had noticed that Tala was drifting away from his own team, away from Bryan who took it the hardest. Still it had not concerned him, he had thought at the time it was Tala simply growing bored and it had nothing to with the Bladebreakers. But he'd been wrong. It wasn't often Kai was wrong and when he was he punished himself; but what punishment could he give himself now? Because he had missed the truth of what was happening, because he hadn't seen that the Bladebreakers were very much involved with Tala's increasing boredom of his old team, Ray was lying in a hospital bed a threat away from death.

Even if Ray hadn't been hurt Kai still would have put a stop to the liaison; but there was no way he could have known, Ray had never given any sign that he even swung that way and Tala was as inscrutable as ever.

Impatient of the silence between them Kai took his gaze from his cooling coffee and looked at the wolf "if you came here to say something then say it"

Tala lifted a red eyebrow at the brusque manner and replied, "I assumed you knew why I was here"

"Not the whole reason" Kai answered back.

"I want to know why Bryan isn't locked up inside a cage not even fit for a dog"

"That I've gathered, I just don't understand why"

Tala snorted with distaste "when I tell someone they're going to be locked away then I expect them to be there, I don't appreciate it when a supposed team-mate goes behind my back to put Bryan in a…what exactly have you sent him to?"

"It's a retreat"

"Of course, because that's really what Bryan needs," said the wolf sardonically "a comfy room with a bunch of women cooing over him"

"It will help him" Kai's voice was hard, firm.

Tala almost laughed, "you have _got_ to be joking" he leaned forwards, placing his hands squarely on the table "you want to _help_ Bryan?"

"What's the problem, Tala?" asked Kai looking at him through fiery red eyes "Ray was nothing to you, you don't care what happens to him. I have that right, don't I?"

"Ray Kon is not the issue here, I told Bryan he was getting locked up and that's where he's going"

"That's what I don't understand" the phoenix's eyes narrowed "it's me who's Ray's friend, I should be the one angered and looking for revenge"

"Then why aren't you?" Tala answered back "why are you giving Bryan a cushy number instead of trapping him in a box where he belongs?"

Kai leant back in his seat; in truth Tala was a lot more complacent than he'd expected, the wolf before him was calm and sedate, nothing like the violent dangerous animal Tala became in the norm. That caught Kai's attention: it meant Tala had something planned; but there was no way the wolf would admit to what that would be.

Well.

Two could play the same game.

"I have my reasons" he replied.

* * *

"Please place any electrical equipment in this box here"

Bryan looked at it suspiciously "why?" he demanded.

"Because it is not permitted to have those things on your person while you're at this retreat"

"What if there's a fire and I'm locked inside my room with a fucking weirdo who won't let me out. If I don't have a phone to call for help then I'm gonna die"

"Bryan!" Hiro hissed in his ear "just give your phone to the receptionist, don't make this hard on yourself!"

"Any fires are immediately detected by the smoke alarm and an alert is raised" replied the receptionist calmly, a sign she was good at her job and used to dicks like Bryan, but the falcon was a pusher and he wanted to be awkward.

"But what if the smoke alarm has run out of batteries?"

"It has regular checks"

"What if the person that checks the fire alarm is a secret mass-murderer and wants to kill everyone in this place, he wouldn't bother to replace the batteries, and he'd probably remove the batteries there to make sure the fire alarm didn't work-"

"Bryan, just give her your damn phone!" Hiro snapped.

"I don't have a phone" Bryan replied coolly "Tala stepped on it"

"Then what was the point of the whole conversation!"

"You gotta to be sure about these things, this place is stuffed with whacked out shit-heads remember"

"You should fit right in then!" Hiro snarled, then remembered he was here as Bryan's lawyer and stopped his next comment. He took a moment's solace during which Bryan pulled out his fags – only to have them snatched away from him by the receptionist. The falcon's eyes narrowed; he could she was going to be trouble. She also seemed familiar somehow, though he couldn't place and in all honesty he didn't give a shit.

"Am I going to have to fuck you to get them back?" he asked rudely.

"You will do no such thing, Bryan Kuznetsov!" the receptionist scowled at him "and don't think you can get to me!"

Now Bryan knew he'd seen her before; no one who didn't know him ever got his name right the first time, he gave her a good long look but was interrupted by Hiro who placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. A non-too friendly squeeze Bryan discovered and he wrenched away from Hiro with a snarl "don't touch me!"

"Then behave!" Hiro growled "and give Matilda the knife you have hidden in your back pocket and you think I don't know about"

Matilda. That's who she was. How very uninteresting Bryan found. He was however amused by the look of alarm that flashed across her face at the mention of the knife. He could play this a while longer-

The crash of metal against wood and a scream long and loud went straight down Hiro's spine and he span round to locate the noise, which, for the moment, he couldn't place. Bryan meanwhile had lurched round to a door that now flew open with a rush air so strong the door nearly burst from its hinges. There was another cry, another roar that was so loud and long, hurting with pain and confusion; another crash and a chair, made of metal and plastic, flew passed the doorway and smashed in to the wall.

Matilda had hit smacked her hand down on a big red button Bryan had seen when he'd peered over the edge of the reception desk; an alarm wailed through the hallways and three people, dressed in soft blue all-in-ones, rushed from various room to the third cry.

This changed to a scream as the three doctors dived in to the room and attempted to calm the screaming writhing body, which now flung itself to the floor; another doctor, this one dressed in a long white coat, dashed across the reception area just as Bryan saw his chance to escape. Matilda had turned off the alarm and now cries from other rooms could be heard, wails and screams of laughter or fear; Hiro lifted his eyebrows with the sudden impression this was more a of hospital than a retreat. For the first time he began to think that maybe Kai wasn't so crazy after all.

This of course reminded him of Bryan.

"Hey!"

The falcon cursed to himself and tried to dodge Hiro; but Hiro saw this coming and feigned left before grabbing Bryan from the right.

"Not so fast, Bryan!"

"Fuck you, Granger!" Bryan struggled "I'm not staying here!"

Granger turned him round to face him and shook him by his jacket "do you want to want to go back to prison! Do you want to share a cell with Boris! Is that what you want?"

Another cry echoed from the door that had slammed shut behind the doctors: Bryan took one look at that door and turned for the entrance, or exit as he now deemed it "sure thing, Granger, lets go. Boris, here I come"

"Wait! You don't understand!" Hiro caught him again and fought with him as the flacon struggled.

"Let me go, Granger!"

"No, you need to listen!"

"No, I fucking don't!" Bryan grappled with him "I'm not staying here! I have no fucking idea what Hiwatari's playing at but I'm not being his pet monkey he can dump anywhere! I'm outta here!"

"Why don't you understand Kai is trying to help you!" Hiro grabbed Bryan's arms panting, finding the falcon a strong and very able to fight dirty as Bryan took a kick at him.

"I don't need his fucking help! I don't need help! I'm fine!"

"Do you really not get it?" Hiro fumed, his temper got the better of him and he flung Bryan against the wall his elbow jabbing in to the falcon's throat "you've got Capital Punishment hanging over your head! Ray dies and it's homicide! Murder, Bryan! That's what you're up against and given your past record they'll give you the death penalty without a second thought!"

Bryan stopped struggling and looked at Hiro suspiciously "I don't believe you, Kai never said anything about the death penalty"

"Oh please, are you _that_ stupid!" Hiro sighed heavily, if Bryan fought now he just wouldn't have the strength to hold him "have you completely forgotten who Ray is? Have you forgotten who you are? If Ray dies then you don't stand a chance"

"Hiwatari never said anything about death" Bryan repeated flatly.

"That's because he doesn't know yet" Hiro replied, "your case has been passed to another judge because of Ray's condition, they don't believe he's going to wake up. I was told this morning, the judge is prepared to carry out Capital Punishment if Ray dies"

"You can't be serious!" Bryan shoved Hiro's elbow from his throat but he stayed to the wall "I'm not dying because that fucking neko-jin can't handle a few punches in the face!"

"You should have thought of that before you beat him to a pulp" Hiro answered tersely, he gave the falcon a hard look "listen to me for once, this had happened and there's not one damn thing you can do about that, but you can help yourself"

"Sure, I'll top myself off right now" Bryan sneered non too calmly "save Mr Judge-Man the fucking bother!"

"No!" said Hiro impatiently "you can attend this retreat and get help, if you can show that you are willing to get help for your problems then the judge has to show some leniency"

"Are you sure about that?" demanded the falcon.

"No-"

"What do you mean no! I thought you were supposed to be my lawyer!"

"I am, that's why I'm advising you to stay here" Hiro replied calmly "it's the only thing you can do, Bryan, stay here and tell the world that you recognise you need help"

Bryan said nothing; he looked sullen and dark but he gave no more complaints, something that Hiro took to be a sign of complacency. He sighed again, pleased he'd managed to talk some sense in to the fucked up young man still leaning against the wall.

"Good" he spoke in a calmer voice "and you'd better be good here, Bryan"

"Whatever!"

"I mean it, no trouble or bother, the last thing you need right now is to be kicked out of this place"

"I said whatever!"

"Alright" Hiro held up his hands in surrender "as long as we have that clear"

"Crystal!"

"Good" repeated the young lawyer; he gave Bryan a good long hard look and said in a darker voice "and you'd better pray to any God you can think of that Ray doesn't die"

The falcon snorted and folded his arms grumpily; he looked away from Hiro and scowled at the closed door that before had held such screams that had him fleeing for the exit. This door now opened and the doctor in the long white coat stepped out calmly; he went over to Matilda who listened intently and nodded quickly before reaching for the phone.

The other three nurses now struggled out the small doorway, holding between them a limp sagging body that barely walked across the floor; a mop of orange hair fell across the face as the head hung low. It was a young man, Bryan could see, the mass of orange hair obstructed the face but even so Hiro had frozen to the spot nonetheless, a look of horror spreading across his face.

"Oh crap" he muttered to himself.

Brooklyn Masefield lifted his head tiredly to look up at the people watching him; there was silence in the room as his teal eyes crossed from Matilda, to the doctor, to Hiro and finally to a pair of cold hard pale eyes frozen above a sneer meaner than the harshest of winters.

* * *

WOO, Brooklyn! It took a while for him to make an appearance, especially when he's one of the main characters in this story.

I'm not sure if Masefield is actually Brooklyn's last name but that's what came up when I went searching for it.

And I'm not sure if the death penalty is still allowed in Japan, I think it is and it adds good drama to the story so I'll go with it unless someone shouts at me :)

So, I hope you enjoyed this newest chapter and I'm sorry for the long wait, I have reasons but it could take another six pages to explain them so I won't bore you.

Please leave a review and give me your opinions or any ideas, ideas about how to play Brooklyn would be good, I'm still not sure how to keep him in character at the moment.

Next Time: Kai and Tala find out about the Capital Punishment, The White Tigers arrive - Ray's dying, they were going to have show up at some point. An unusual alliance is born, seriously you won't see it coming.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki

Kizzes!


	7. A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Well haven't I just been forever and a day, and after I said I wouldn't take long to update. Meanie old me! I have no excuses of course, other than that I'm lazy, distracted and a bit of an airhead. And there's nothing anyone can really do about that...except of course me, but I'm lazy...it's a bit of a problematic circle to be honest.

Anyway, back with a new chapter no less. And with a new chapter for **Bones Reborn** (YEAH, I KNOW) and a new story - **Silver And Gold**. It's a Gundam SEED one so go check it out! - shameless advertising. Hey, if I don't sound my own trumpet then who will?

So, on to **Human**.

WARNINGS: Bad language...can't think of any more. OOCness? Grammar, maybe, although no one has commented on that for a while. Spelling? Just keep an eye out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor any of its characters.

Progress in this chapter, folks! INTERACTION BETWEEN THE MAIN CHARACTERS! Who knew it would only take SEVEN chapters!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human **

**Chapter Seven: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing**

Things were not going well for one Kai Hiwatari, it had turned in to one of those days where one looked forward to the night for the simple reason that the day just couldn't be gone faster and time just couldn't move quicker. Not that it had started out like this; that very morning Kai had attended his hospital appointment to discover that his eyesight had been saved and that, over time, it would return completely, the world was still a little half hazy now but the phoenix was more than happy to live with that in the knowledge and assurance that it was only for a period of time.

However, that had been the only good bit of news he'd had that day. It had started late lunch when, while sitting in the Tyson's kitchen with the dragon babbling on about how the fans were piling up outside his door with flowers for Ray, Kai had received his first bit of irritating news.

The White Tigers were on their way.

As a rule, Kai didn't actually have any feelings towards Ray's hometown friends, but the news they were coming to visit was an annoyance if not something he hadn't seen coming. But they would be a problem, a big problem Kai could live without. By now, Tyson, Max and the other relevant people in Ray's life knew the person behind his attack; the problem was, they didn't know the reason. Not the real reason. They'd chalked it up to Bryan's increasing foul mood, his inability to control his violence and various other theories Kai had allowed them to conjure up, anything to keep them from the truth. And this was fine, because all of them had, in one way or another, accepted Kai's decision to put Bryan in the retreat.

That would be something the White Tigers would not accept.

They would want a better reason for Ray's beating rather than the falcon had been walking along, bumped in to Ray and randomly lost his temper. They wouldn't be happy about it. Nor would they be content with Bryan's punishment; Kai knew without doubt that Lee would be looking for blood, and their traditions dictated that punishment would be carried out personally.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

But the White Tigers weren't the only problem he had buzzing needlessly round his brain; he'd just been told about the Capital Punishment that was now hanging over Bryan's head. Kai frowned at Hiro who stood above him with papers in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. From somewhere in the dojo Tyson could be heard ushering Max and Daichi about as they tried to arrange a room for the approaching White Tigers.

"I don't understand why this happened" said Kai.

"It's because you went over the heads of the police" Hiro explained lightly leaning back against the kitchen side "they didn't like that, not one bit, so they did the one thing they could and changed the judge. As it stands now, if Ray dies then Bryan will find himself on death-row"

"But that's why I sent him to the retreat" Kai answered, "to avoid that situation"

"And so far that's working in his favour" the Granger brother agreed "but one foot out of line and he's finished"

Kai looked away; this situation was becoming more problematic every day, and the worst of it was that Ray had shown no signs of recovery. The doctors were unsure and unwilling to make a formal diagnostic should their prediction prove wrong and they found themselves staring in to the blackened expression of the all powerful Kai Hiwatari. It was annoying, and inconvenient to say the least; he needed a proper professional doctor's opinion but the whole gang of them were more concerned with their reputations and keeping their place of work from being sued.

"I want Ray moved" he said, looking back up at Hiro "can you do that for me?"

Hiro was taken aback, firstly by the sudden change in conversation and secondly by the request "why? What's wrong with the place he's in now?"

"They're too scared of who I am to give me a proper outlook of Ray's future, and that's what I need right now" Kai stood up "if I stand a chance of taking the Capital Punishment from Bryan's head"

Hiro's eyes widened "what! Remove the Capital Punishment! Kai, are you even serious!"

"It has to be done"

"I know you have power and status around here, but I don't see how you can possibly persuade the Judge to remove the sentence, you're out of your mind!"

Kai ignored him and looked out of the window thinking; Hiro was right of course, persuading the Judge to change his mind wasn't easy even for him. Money placed in the right hands could solve the problem, but that would give the Hiwatari name a bad reputation and he would lose all standing he had.

"Why are you protecting Bryan?" asked Hiro "why is it so important? You can't tell me he doesn't deserve it"

"Bryan is a team-mate, I have to protect my team-mates no matter their crime"

"I may point out that Ray is also one of your _team-mates_ and is a lot more deserving of your attentions" Hiro said in a hard voice "maybe you should focus your efforts on him a little more"

"If pouring money in to the hospital would wake Ray up I would" the phoenix answered with warning in his voice, Hiro was stepping on thin ice "unfortunately snapping my fingers won't induce Ray to wake up any more than it would persuade a mountain to grow legs and walk"

"So instead you're going to try and get Bryan off the hook? That's not going to work, Kai"

"It's something I can do"

"This is Ray Kon we're talking about, he's a friend to you but throughout Japan and much of the world he's a respected and much loved celebrity, they're not just going to let Bryan walk away from this with consequences"

"That may be the case, but protecting Bryan is still my main priority"

"And what if Ray doesn't wake up?" asked Hiro cruelly "what if he dies, Kai? Have you thought about that?"

Kai glared at him, and his voice softened threateningly "you're discussing a dangerous topic, Hiro, I wouldn't let Tyson hear speak of such things"

"It's not Tyson I'm talking to" Hiro folded his arms "I'm a friend of Ray's too, I do not want him to die. But as Bryan's lawyer I have to think of all eventualities. There are people out there who think it's already too late, they want Bryan to be punished and the Judge isn't going to ignore them. Ray could die, and it would be Bryan's fault"

"I'm aware of that"

"And still you don't think that falcon doesn't deserve punishment? I don't get it"

"Don't mess with things you don't understand" the phoenix said calmly.

"But-"

"I will protect Bryan, whether Ray dies or not. I realise you don't understand my motives for taking such action, but you know nothing of the past or how it relates to today and I won't explain it to you"

Hiro paused "is this what it's all about?" he enquired "the past? Did something happen in the past to make you promise to protect Bryan no matter what?"

"That's none of your business"

Hiro leaned across the table at the phoenix "then maybe you'd better make it my business. After all, it was you who hired me to be Bryan's lawyer"

* * *

Bryan was lost. Not that he actually minded this turn of events; _anything_ was better than traipsing along some crappy forest path listening to some bastard teacher telling him that he should listen to the voices of the trees and return to a place of calm inside his head. It had been a party of six or seven that had set out from the retreat about an hour ago; this party had been headed by a man who reminded of a beetle that had once been stood on by Boris, it had made Bryan laugh to think of it and the teacher had turned to him expecting some sort of positive feedback in regard to the nature walk.

What he'd got was a list of verbal abuse ranging from what Bryan felt of this fantastic plan, to what Bryan thought of him and his bedraggled team of loonies and fucking weirdoes.

However, if Bryan had thought that this was going to get a slap on the hand and an order to return to the retreat, which is what he had wanted, then he'd been mistaken. The beetle man had only smiled and replied that maybe Bryan needed to look deeper in to his being to discover the sauce of the anger and aggression.

Bryan had then replied that he didn't need to look deeper inside himself to find the answers because he already knew them. He was angry because he'd been dumped in a retreat, which he had compared to a stinking foul heap that belonged in hell and he was aggressive because there was no chance he was going to trail around some stupid forest listening to the birds and the bees.

He had hoped this would warrant enough for him to be sent back.

It wasn't.

Ten minutes later Bryan had found himself walking along a sandy path next to some chick who looked like she'd just walked out of some old zombie movie. She'd kept reaching out to him as if he wasn't there and to make Bryan feel even more edible she'd repeatedly licked her lips. The falcon had been creeped out to say the least and his mood hadn't improved when a small mousy man, who had asked him if he knew the way to Amarillo, subsequently joined him.

That had been some twenty minutes ago and now Bryan found himself on a new path when he'd managed to separate himself from his newfound friends; sneaking away from the group hadn't been all that difficult as he had imagined, the teacher had been babbling on about some little bird they'd found and had turned away.

With his newfound freedom Bryan had realised that he could go anywhere, it would be another two hours before anyone noticed he was missing and he could be long gone by the time that happened. All he had to do was find a road…

A task that was proving more difficult than he'd first imagined.

In a world that was quickly becoming over populated and over crowded with cities and towns there was an awful lot of trees about him; they made it hard to see anything around him, and he had lost all sense of direction with the twisty winding path the teacher had been leading them on. Maybe that had been a ploy, a trick to make sure that the retreat didn't lose anyone; Bryan snorted, he'd grown up in Biovolt for crying out loud. If he couldn't deal with a few trees then he wasn't the monster Boris had brought him up to be. He took out the box of matches he'd managed to smuggle in, though they were strictly forbidden; lighting up an entire forest just to see where he was might have been a bit drastic even for him, but it couldn't hurt him if the public then went on to believe that Bryan Kuznetsov had died in a forest fire.

He could change his name and be living in freedom within a couple of months.

Smirking, he took out a match and struck it, looking around for dry wood; if he used accelerant the authorities would discover this and he'd be in bigger shit than he was now. In honesty, fire wasn't really his thing; it was hot and the smoke was just as deadly as the flames, but it was a useful thing when used correctly, and right now his escape from this madhouse was most important.

He lowered the match down to some dried twigs and hovered for a moment, judging the direction the breeze would push the flames-

A soft laugh filled the air and Bryan leapt out of his skin, dropping the match just as it burnt itself out; he cursed and span round in search of the noise, stupidly thinking it was zombie lady back for more tormenting. But there was no creepy woman and the forest was filled only with birdsong.

Bryan hated birds.

But he wasn't stupid or blind; so it was easy to spot the little creature as it fluttered from a low branch in one of the trees and disappeared around the trunk, then the falcon caught the soft sigh of another human being. That was irritating; he didn't care about killing off some random git who happened to be here in the same place, but he objected to someone seeing what he was up to and reporting him for arson. Annoyed, he shoved the box of matches back in his pocket savagely and marched over; ready to give whomever it was a good hard thrashing.

A blaze of orange hair was the first thing he saw, followed by a face and a hand that reached out as the tiny bird flittered about on the ground, before fluttering upwards to land gently on the outstretched fingers.

Bryan swore.

Out loud and heartily.

Brooklyn started in surprise and sat up; looking over his shoulder he found someone standing there angrily glaring at him as if it was his fault global warming was ever approaching. That face seemed familiar, or rather the glower seemed to jog his memory; in the days where he hadn't been here, but in that other place. The place where that man had told him to destroy the world with a beyblade and stand victorious.

"You're not Kai"

Bryan snorted; Kai Hiwatari was the last person on earth he wanted to be compared to, he gave a snarl "well done, genius, at least you don't need glasses"

Brooklyn tilted his head "but you come from that place, don't you?" he asked, "you come from that other world"

"I don't know about you, but I come from a planet called earth, pal. Most of us do"

"No" Brooklyn shook his head as he sat forwards so he could see Bryan better "you come from that other place" the bird in his hand flew away when Bryan moved and Brooklyn turned quickly to watch it go.

It was then Bryan suddenly realised who it was he was talking to; until now it hadn't really clicked, he was slow when it came to recognising people and he wasn't smart like Tala so he couldn't recall the different names quickly. But now he knew for certain; of course he'd known he knew the freak from somewhere but now he knew who this person was "you!"

Brooklyn looked back at him and let out a gasp "you know me?" he asked quietly "you know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are!" Bryan snapped, "I'm not stupid!"

"Then, do you know him?" asked Brooklyn "do you know where he is?"

Now Bryan was lost; it suddenly occurred to him that maybe Brooklyn was short of a few screws, that maybe the destructive battle with Tyson Granger had unhinged him in some way. He shuddered; he didn't need this, he had plans of escape to carry out after all "I don't know who you're talking about!"

"Him" Brooklyn's hands clasped the tree as he peered round the trunk at the falcon "the master"

There came a point in all conversations where the speakers ran out of things to discuss and deemed a continuation pointless and void; now was that time for Bryan, he had tasks to complete and he didn't need to waste time around here talking to a nutter, even if that nutter was a fellow blader.

He turned around "I don't know what you're banging on about!" he said over his shoulder harshly "now leave me the fuck alone!"

"No, stay!" Brooklyn scrambled to his feet and followed him, reaching out a hand "I just need to know where the master is"

His fingers brushed the falcon's shoulder.

Bryan reacted so fast his elbow cracked; he slammed Brooklyn in to the nearest tree and snarled "don't fucking touch me!" he pushed his arm up against Brooklyn's throat "look, you fucking creep, I don't know what your game is and I don't know who your fucking master is! You hear me!" he pulled back roughly "now fuck off!"

He turned his back on the lost wanderer.

"Bryan. Your name is Bryan Kuznetsov," said a quiet voice "I remember you now, you came from that other place, you were one of his servants too. One of the bad servants"

Bryan twisted round though his better judgement told him not to; the huge teal eyes reached out to him above a quivering hand with tentative reaching fingers.

"Where is he? Do you know?" asked Brooklyn "where is master Boris?"

* * *

The bank along the river was quieter than normal; those who usually used this path were obstructed at one side by road works which had at various points during the day managed to block half of Tokyo's traffic and resulted in several traffic jams. Even now over the sounds of the river Lee could hear the blaring of horns and the screech of rubber on tarmac.

He hated those sounds; from the first moment he'd heard them he'd hated them, he wasn't like Ray who loved new places and enjoyed adventures. He liked to know his surroundings, liked to be in charge of them too. In control. Ray was different; the tiger liked to walk in places he'd never seen simply for the experience, he wanted to know as much as he could so he could turn around and teach it to others. That was one of the things Lee loved about Ray.

But where was Ray now? What had his adventures and new experiences done to him this time? Lee shook his head in pain; it had been horrible to see Ray lying there with tubes snaking out of him and some machine bleeping away his life, Mariah hadn't stopped crying. Even Kevin and Gary had gone pale. As for Lee, he couldn't stand it; to see his best friend there on the edge of death with only the support of a machine. It was wasn't right; if Ray was going to die then the best place for him was back home, in the mountains with the herbs to heal his passing. That was where the tiger belonged, surrounded by the elders and ones who loved him. But he was here in Tokyo breathing down a mask instead.

And it was all _his_ fault.

Lee's fist clenched and his jaw hardened; just the very thought of Bryan Kuznetsov made his blood boil. And to think that _villain_ wasn't rotting in jail as Lee had expected; he was _healing_ in a quiet retreat somewhere taking his peace with herbal tea and good company. Lee was ready to rip out his heart; he wanted blood, and he knew who to blame.

Kai Hiwatari had done this! Lee had never liked the guy, not even for a moment; but the phoenix had been a friend of Ray's and the tiger had trusted him, so Lee had too. But now Kai showed his true colours at last! It was a crying shame Ray wasn't awake to see how the vile poisonous snake really was. That phoenix deserved to boil in lava!

But it Bryan who Lee really wanted; Lee wanted his _head_, wanted to rip out that bastard's heart. And he was going to pay; one way or another that falcon was going to pay for what he'd done to Ray, it didn't matter if Ray died or not. Lee was going to get Bryan Kuznetsov for this.

He stopped by the river and glared angrily down at the waters; he had a plan, he'd worked it all out. He had thought about involving the others but decided against it; this world wasn't like the mountains of the white tiger, they didn't believe revenge for the life of a friend was honourable, in all likelihood Lee would be off to prison himself by the time he'd finished with Bryan because no one would understand why he'd had to do it. But that didn't matter, none of it did.

Because this was all for Ray.

"I'll do it" Lee whispered to himself his fist held aloft in the air "for you, Ray"

There was a sudden catch of warm breath on his neck and Lee jumped.

"Making promises like that isn't wise," hissed a soft voice "nine times out of ten, they're impossible to keep"

Lee whirled around, lurching from the tall lean figure that stood so close behind him; he gasped partly in surprise and partly in repulsion, this was the last person in the world he'd expected to see, and it was the last person in the world he _wanted_ to see.

"What are you doing here?" he spat furiously "get lost!"

Tala's smirk was cold and crude "you're nothing like Ray, are you, Lee Wong? Nothing like him at all"

Lee glared at him "what do you want?" he growled "I don't want you near me!"

"Well, that's hardly kind" Tala's smile lengthened as his ice blue eyes caught in the sunlight "you'd better start being nicer to me if you want the revenge you seek" he laughed coarsely as Lee's eyes widened in shock "we are going to have so much fun"

* * *

So, what do ya reckon? Tala and Lee buddying up? Gonna work? Wait and see!

As I've said before, I have NO idea how to portray Brooklyn's character. I've got the whole nature loving part in there but how far does one take that? I mean surely the guy doesn't go around humping trees for crying out loud. It's also been a while - YEARS - since I last saw Beyblade so my memory is a little foggy. Still, I figured I couldn't go wrong if I just made Brooklyn mad - that way, you couldn't acuse me of making OOC because he was meant to be like that. But still, if there's anything you want to add then please go right ahead...any help where Brooklyn is concerned would be good. This story is turning out to be a challenge.

But enough of that, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki

Kizzes!


	8. With One Ill Comes Many

Hey there. So, another update for this story. Always a good thing. I wanted to put in more Bryan and Brooklyn moments as this is a story about them and at the moment I seem to be floating over them. However, I also want to work on Tala's cunning revenge plan which took up quite a lot of the chapter, and I want to spend time on Kai's desire to save Bryan from getting the death penalty.

Ah, so much to fit in to one story. And I know, this is supposed to be yaoi and the only yaoi we've had is back in chapter two with Tala and Ray, and I want to bring Boris in to the story too. Ahh, too many ideas all at the same time!

Anyway, on to the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor any of its characters.

WARNINGS: Bad language - thanks to Bryan mostly. Bad grammar? Spelling? I did check but there's always one that gets away.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human**

**Chapter Eight: With One Ill Comes Many **

"Would you fuck off! I don't know where your stupid master is!" Bryan ranted, "probably thrown away in some box-shaped cell!"

Brooklyn fell quiet and for a moment he looked like a little boy with his dropped shoulders and lowered gaze. The falcon growled; he didn't want to be here, he _hated_ it here. Anything was better than _here_. This place drove him mad; there were people crying _all_ the time, and smells that made him want to vomit. People screamed during the night and there was always _one_ who puked.

If there was one thing in this world that Bryan hated, it was vomit. And now, he'd seen it in all different shades of the frigging colour spectrum. Seeing green vomit spurt from the mouth of one of the other patients had really been the last straw for the falcon.

If the law wanted to kill him then so be it. Hell, he'd even do it himself if they wanted.

ANYTHING to get out of here.

And then, there was Brooklyn.

Sometimes Bryan would come across people, or things, he just didn't understand. Tala's regular fucking sessions with Ray _the-cat-deserves-to-die_ Kon was one of them, and Brooklyn was another. Whenever the falcon saw the redhead he was calm, subdued, almost childlike in his manner. His desperate need to know his _master's_ location was pathetic. But then there were other times, when Bryan didn't see Brooklyn but only heard him, that cries would fill the retreat from one side to the other. The destruction was immense, catastrophic; once, in the middle of the night, Brooklyn left his room and proceeded to destroy everything around him.

He had managed to wreck the entire corridor and three rooms belonging to other patients before the Doctors had succeeded in grabbing him; the freaky thing was that no one ever saw these rampages. They were only ever heard. One moment it would be quiet, save for the odd retching, then destruction would echo through the retreat accompanied with cries and roars of anger. By the time anyone found him, the chaos was finished and they would find him standing in the middle, panting and sometimes even sobbing.

It was a complete breakdown, complete with madness and grief; Brooklyn's mind had collapsed and there didn't seem any way to fix him. Garland would visit everyday, so would Crusher; Ming-Ming came by once in a while because Brooklyn like to hear her sing, but her sponsors didn't want her going too often in case she caught the crazy. This pissed Garland off, but there wasn't much he could do about it. As the sponsors pointed out, Brooklyn was broken, and there didn't seem to be much chance of putting him back together.

But something had changed for Brooklyn; a very important event had occurred that had made him focus on to the world around him. This had been the arrival of Bryan Kuznetsov. To anyone else, this would have seemed totally irrelevant in all aspects. But to Brooklyn it was very vital. Because Brooklyn had a master, someone who had been taken away from him, and now there was someone who knew his master. Bryan Kuznetsov knew his master. So Bryan Kuznetsov could take him _to_ his master.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, Bryan Kuznetsov didn't appear to find this idea as thrilling as Brooklyn did. He wouldn't give Brooklyn the answer he needed and was under the impression that Brooklyn was mad. The falcon had practically freaked when he'd woken up to find Brooklyn sitting on the edge of his bed watching him sleep; he'd almost killed Brooklyn then and there when the redhead had asked him to find master Boris.

So he chose a new method to discover the answer to his burning question. It was the little things that Bryan noticed first; such as he'd be sitting on a chair brooding over his entrapment when he'd look down to find the redhead curled up on the floor beside him. The next thing Bryan noticed was that no matter how many times Brooklyn destroyed the world around him, Bryan's room was always untouched, always sacred. It was the one thing about Brooklyn's behaviour the falcon didn't complain about.

Of course, it didn't take long for the Doctors to notice this sudden devotion to Bryan Kuznetsov and, while it surprised and worried them, it didn't stop them using this newfound connection to their advantage.

And that was how Bryan Kuznetsov found himself in a class sitting in a circle of morons, crazies and delinquents. He had tried to resist it, naturally; but the Doctors were keen to make progress with Brooklyn and interaction with other patients looked well on Bryan's record. So, he was stuck with it.

He looked around with wariness; save for Brooklyn, sitting up against his chair on the floor, there were five other patients and the Doctor. Bryan groaned inwardly; the topic of the day was _feelings_.

At this very moment the Doctor was talking to someone else about their feelings; Bryan felt Brooklyn move beside him and, out of habit, glanced down. Then he rolled his eyes. Brooklyn was still very much in to nature, something the Doctors encouraged him on; currently he was letting a tiny bug crawl across his finger. His attention span to the world around him was still sporadic, despite his focus on Bryan; sometimes he would look up at the ceiling as if it were the sky, completely unaware that someone was talking to him.

"Stop putting the fucking bug on to my fucking boot!" snapped Bryan.

He would have said more, but cursing wasn't allowed on premises and he told to be quiet; normally this wouldn't have stopped Bryan from saying a string of foul words, in fact he would have said them just to annoy. But Brooklyn had just found a second bug and placed it on Bryan's other boot. The falcon was torn between yelling about a bug infestation and murdering Brooklyn.

"Bryan, would you like to share with the class your feelings today?" asked the Doctor kindly.

She was a pretty lady, with blonde hair to her shoulders; from somewhere she seemed very familiar, or rather some part of her expression was familiar, but where he'd seen it before he didn't know. It was like the receptionist and Brooklyn; people kept showing up with faces he recognised from the past. It pissed him off, and he didn't want to yammer on about his stupid feelings.

He glared "look, _whore_-"

"Judy" corrected his Doctor lightly.

"I don't want to talk about my fucking feelings to a fucking whore who thinks talking about my fucking feelings will make me feel fucking better! I don't need to feel fucking better because I don't feel fucking bad! I'm glad I beat that stupid neko-jin to a pulp, I hope he dies and if I get half a chance I'll make sure he does and- and will you QUIT putting fucking bugs on my fucking BOOTS!" he seethed down at the redhead "where are you even getting them from!"

Brooklyn looked up at him with calm sedate eyes; there was a small smile on his face, a happy look as one of the tiny insects crawled tenderly on to his hand "it's warm outside" he explained.

"What the fuck-" began Bryan, then realised he didn't care.

He scowled darkly only to find that the Doctor had been watching him and his companion with a thoughtful expression on her face. Bryan's heart sank in to his boots; he knew that expression, it was the same expression Tala had on his face every time he was planning something Bryan wasn't going to like.

Tala.

The redhead floated up in to the front of his mind; he hadn't seen the wolf since the police had been called. Even now Bryan couldn't understand it. Was this really all because Bryan had tried to kill the redhead's fuck toy? How was that fair? Couldn't Tala just simply find another one? Either way it didn't change the fact that he wanted to see his Captain; once upon a time they'd spent all their time together, never one without the other, Bryan just wasn't used to it now that they were separate.

* * *

"Mariah, come on!" Lee growled at his sister "we don't have all day!"

"I know!" she snapped back at him irritably "I still don't see why we couldn't stay longer!"

"Mariah, visiting hours are there for a reason" her brother replied with a sigh "besides, you were crying over the sheets so hard the nurse had to change them"

"Sorry for caring!" his sister huffed "geez, Lee, sometimes I don't think you care at all!"

"Of course I care" Lee answered indignantly "I just don't feel the need to flood the hospital, that's all"

"Haha, very funny" she scowled at him for a moment and then looked back at the hospital they'd left behind them "do you think he'll be alright?"

"Of course he will" the lion assured her breezily "he's Ray, he's always alright"

"He's never been beaten that badly" she objected "not even when he had that beyblade fight with Bryan"

"Yeah…" Lee was forced to admit, he quickly rallied however "but he was fine then and he'll be fine now, it's just a matter of time before he wakes up"

Mariah lifted her eyebrows "which Doctor were you talking to?" she asked, "because the one I spoke to told me not to get my hopes up"

"Depressive old git" muttered Lee evilly, he sighed heavily; in truth, he wasn't all together hopeful either. And the more he thought about it the angrier he got at Bryan Kuznetsov. But Mariah was his younger sister, and he wanted to protect her; so he did what any protective brother would do and lied through his teeth "the Doctors don't know Ray, they don't know how tough he is and they don't know he's a neko-jin" he replied positively "Ray ain't used up his nine lives just yet, he's not going anywhere"

"Lee, you know the nine lives thing is just a myth, neko-jins do not have nine lives, only one like everybody else"

"That's not true" her brother persisted "neko-jins have nine lives, you'll see"

"You know, I'd be happy to test that theory out," said a cool condescending voice "I'd quite cheerfully bash you over the head eight times"

Lee looked back over his shoulder at the picnic table they'd just passed; he'd registered someone was sitting there but hadn't realised who it was until he recognised the shocking red hair. He glared with irritation, realised what Tala had just said and glared even more. Mariah on the other hand was more surprised to see the wolf than anger, and more astonished that he'd actually allowed himself to speak to them. She was under the impression Tala Valkov regarded the White Tigers as a gaggle of rather drab scrawny kittens, rather than actual human beings.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"A few years ago a man and a woman felt horny, fucked each other and nine months later out I popped" said Tala dryly, he paused for a moment "although from what I hear, I didn't exactly pop" he added "twenty-three hours in and my mother was still hard in labour" a cold smile touched his lips.

"That isn't funny or original" Lee snapped irritably.

"Well excuse me for trying to brighten the mood" the cold smile twitched "you seem a little broody, I was just trying to cheer you up with a little crude humour"

"It didn't work" answered the lion shortly "now, sorry to dash off, but we have to be somewhere. Come on, Mariah"

"Not so fast" said an icy voice.

It was an order, a command that denied all ability to disobey it; even so Lee refused to turn round as Tala clambered from the table and came up behind them. Mariah turned round curiously from the wolf to her brother; she had no idea what was going on, but with Tala involved it couldn't be good.

"Lee?"

"Just ignore him" he replied crossly "he's just trying to use us"

"Correction, I'm trying to use you" Tala answered calmly "I don't need your sister"

"Like hell I'm going to let you _use_ me for anything!" the lion snarled whirling round angrily "do you really think I'm that stupid!"

The Russian snorted "please believe me when I say that if I thought you had a brain I wouldn't be here"

Lee glared "whatever!" he sneered "I'm going to be your puppet to get revenge on Bryan or whatever the hell it is you want!" he turned on his heel "we're going, Mariah!"

His sister ignored him and looked curiously at Tala "you want revenge? What for?"

"Mariah! Don't encourage him!"

"But don't you think it's a little weird that Tala wants revenge? It's even stranger he wants to use you"

"Duh, of course I do! But I'm not playing his game, no way in hell!"

"Come on, I'll make it worth your while" the wolf promised, "you'll want to thank me"

"Yeah, that's really gonna happen" Lee muttered.

Mariah turned to Tala again "tell me why" she asked calmly "you want revenge for what Bryan did to Ray? Why would you care about what happened to Ray?"

"Don't bother" her brother told her "he's not going to give you a straight answer"

"Please" she insisted, ignoring her sibling totally "I just want a reason why you'd even be bothered"

"It's simple," said the wolf "Ray and I have an…arrangement"

"An arrangement?"

"I fuck him on a regular basis"

"What!" Lee blanched.

"I fuck your White Tiger leader on regular basis" the redhead repeated, "he enjoys it"

Lee snarled and bared his teeth "don't sully Ray's reputation with your poisoned lies!" he growled furiously "how dare you!"

Tala blinked.

The lion turned back to his sister "I told you he wouldn't give you a straight answer!" he grabbed Mariah and turned away to walk up the path.

A cruel red eyebrow arched with vague surprise.

Lee was more stupid than he'd given him credit for; the wolf was going to have to change his tactic if he wanted his plan to work. For a moment he wondered if it was actually worth it; he could carry out his plan much quicker if he did this by himself. But then he remembered what Bryan had done; no, he wanted the falcon to suffer, but he wasn't going to shoulder the blame for Bryan's punishment. He needed a suitable guinea pig for that.

* * *

"So I've been meaning to ask," Tyson said as he and Max entered the elevator "how's your mom doing?"

Max hit the right button "you mean since she became a Doctor?"

"Yeah, she's working with a retreat not too far away right?"

"Hmm, she even got Matilda a job there" Max replied "and she says she's enjoying it, apparently it's the best decision she's made since the BBA went bankrupt. And Dad's just happy she's living with us in Japan"

"They're fixing their marriage then"

"Yup, which is a good thing. I just wish I was happy about this whole Doctor thing"

"Huh? You're not happy with it? Why not?" the dragon asked "I'd thought you'd be pleased that she was with you in Japan"

"I am" agreed his friend "and until recently I was pleased she was happy where she was working"

"So what changed?"

"Well…it's just…I think my mom is Bryan's Doctor"

Tyson blinked "you're kidding, no way"

"She got this call one night, from the retreat. From what she told me she'd been given a patient with a beyblade background, that it was a special request from someone important. The next day we found out that Kai had managed to wrangle Hiro in to being Bryan's lawyer and that Bryan was going to a retreat instead of prison"

"You think Kai requested her to be Bryan's Doctor?" Tyson thought about this as the lift reached their requested floor "no way" he said again "Ray's dying and Bryan is the reason why, there's no way Kai would want Bryan to get away with it"

"I'm not saying that" Max denied quickly "I just think it's weird that Kai made Hiro Bryan's lawyer and dumped Bryan in to a retreat"

"Yeah, I think that's odd too" Tyson admitted with a dip of his eyebrows "I tried to ask Hiro what Kai said to make him agree to be Bryan's lawyer, but he refused to say anything"

The doors opened and they stepped out in to the corridor just as a nurse dashed passed pushing a large trolley; turning to the right they walked through the hospital in silence for a moment.

Then Tyson said "do you think Kai really is trying to stop Bryan from going to prison?"

"I don't know for sure about that, but I do think he's trying to take the death sentence away" Max answered with some concern "from what's happened it's made me think he's using connections that he can persuade in to saying what he wants, I just don't know why. I'd thought he'd be angry about what Bryan had done to Ray, and I wish to hell that my mom wasn't involved like I think she is"

"Look, lets not get ahead of ourselves" Tyson interjected "Kai's powerful, we all know that. But that doesn't mean Hiro is going to do what Kai wants him to do, he doesn't even like Kai that much"

"Then why did he agree to be Bryan's lawyer?" asked Max "he and Ray were good friends, he can't be happy about trying to save the guy who nearly killed Ray"

"I don't know," sighed the dragon "I don't know why he sent Bryan to a retreat, I don't understand why he's trying to save Bryan at all"

"And what about Kai? Surely he can't really want to protect Bryan from this, Ray might not wake up"

"Maybe we should just ask him" Tyson figured as they turned in to the room and stopped in the doorway "he's Kai, he's gotta have a reason"

Ray was laying the bed, the sheets about him while a drip trailed from his arm all the way to the machines. The life support was steady, but ever foreboding with each beep. The bruises on the neko-jin's face were paled and the oxygen mask covering his face fogged up with the breaths he took. However, this was not the reason both Tyson and Max had stopped in their tracks; they'd come to see Ray, come to talk to him in case he could hear them. But it had been Kai they'd talked about and it had been Kai who'd they really wanted to talk to. Now, as they stood in the doorway of the room, they realised their chance had come quicker than expected.

Kai was leaning against the wall by the open window; his arms were folded and his gaze had been focussed on Ray, but as his other team-mates entered the room he looked up at them. There was a silence; it was almost as if he knew they'd been talking about him, about what he'd done.

Tyson frowned and took a step forwards "speak of the devil" he said, "we were just discussing you"

"We've got some questions, Kai" Max added, "I want to know if it really is my mom who is Bryan's Doctor"

"I want to know why my brother is Bryan's lawyer" Tyson continued "come to that, why the hell is Bryan in a retreat?"

The phoenix said nothing; if he'd any answers he wasn't going to give them up so easily. But the Bladebreakers had been around a long time and Tyson wasn't going to give up yet. Kai was their friend, Ray was their friend; he couldn't believe Kai wanted Bryan to be free after what he'd done. He wanted Kai to explain; there had to be a reason, and Tyson was happy to listen to it. Kai always did everything for a reason.

"Ray's dying, Kai" he glanced at the lifeless neko-jin "Bryan did this to him"

"I'm aware of that" the phoenix answered, speaking for the first time.

Tyson looked at him hopelessly "then why are you doing this? Why are you helping Bryan?"

* * *

So, running themes: Kai's urge to help Bryan, Tala's desire to use Lee, Tyson and Max's growing suspicion of Kai, Bryan and Brooklyn's growing bond.

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I plan to have more of Bryan and Brooklyn in the next chapter.

Please leave a review.

Thanks for reading!

Kiki

Kizzes!


	9. The Melancholy Of Bryan Kuznetsov

Well HELLO there! Am I actually updating this story? WOW!

I actually meant to update sooner, but **If Reality Could Drown** kinda got in the way. When you want to write down the basics of a plot you just gotta do it, right? Anyway, after that I went straight to this story. It needs updating. I was on the verge of deleting it, but then this chapter was written out in like a day so I figured there was no way I could get rid of it.

WARNINGS: Bad language (Bryan).

Disclaimer: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya does not belong to me, I am merely using the title for my own entertainment. Beyblade does not belong to me, nor any of its characters.

Last Time: Don't ask. I haven't the foggiest, just look at the last chapter to refresh your memory.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Human **

**Chapter Nine: The Melancholy Of Bryan Kuznetsov**

"What were you thinking, you fool" Hiro frowned gravely down at his client who was at present slumped in a chair pretending to feel sorrow and regret.

Bryan had never been good at acting, even when he could be bothered; his way of showing regret was to glare moodily at the floor and roll his eyes every time Hiro spoke.

"The Doctors are here so they can help you, and right now you need all the help you can get" Hiro scowled "you're on death's row, Bryan, you might want to remember that"

The falcon muttered something in Russian.

"Say what you like," said his lawyer coldly "in my personal opinion you shouldn't be getting any help whatsoever, and if Ray dies I'd quite happily watch you die too"

"Charming" Bryan snorted "I thought my lawyer was supposed to be on my side and keep his fucking opinions to himself"

Hiro's eyes narrowed "Kai is my client" he said in clipped tones "he is the one that hired me and the one paying the bill, you are just the reason he employed me"

"Heh, he must have been desperate" the falcon snorted, "he can't stand you"

"Would you please consider the situation you are in!" Hiro snapped, "this isn't a holiday! You're not here to mess about and slag off at the Doctors!"

"Says you" replied Bryan "way I see it, the worse I am to the Doctors the crazier they'll think I am" he smirked "if the law thinks I'm a nutter they'll take me off death row, right?"

"They already think you're mad, Bryan" Hiro snarled "what they want is you to admit you need help and accept help with a little something called gratitude"

"Sure, I'm grateful" the falcon sneered, "I've got a lot to be grateful for, don't I?"

"Damn straight you do" Hiro agreed, he ignored the sarcastic tone "and it's about time you realised that. I don't know why the hell Kai is going to all this trouble, but it's thanks to him you've got this one chance. The Doctors here are going through a lot of trouble to help you out, you don't know how lucky you are"

"That's me, isn't it?" Bryan snickered humourlessly "Bryan, the lucky leprechaun"

"And don't you forget it" Hiro said testily "Judy told me what you said, Bryan. All of it, I wasn't too pleased to hear what you said about Ray"

"The woman asked me about my feelings, I was only being honest"

Hiro's eyes narrowed; he liked this case less and less with every passing moment. He'd been angry when he'd heard what the falcon said, and it had taken all the professionalism he had not to slam his fist straight in to that callous face. After everything was through, he'd kill Kai for this.

"Fine" he accepted then "on your own head be it, you're the one with a death sentence hanging over him. You want to go around insulting doctors and convincing the judge that you deserve to die then, sure, be my guest" he glowered "just don't come running to me when they decide to bring the date of the execution forward"

* * *

"This is fucking stupid" Bryan grumbled; he glared at the trees in front of him. He should write a book: _The Hundred Different Ways To Kill The People You Hate. _He was sure he'd make a killing on it.

First he'd describe in great detail how he'd beaten Ray Kon the neko-jin to death. Then he take pleasure in explaining the plans he had for Hiro Granger, and the Doctors here and the Judge who was deciding his sentence, and Ray Kon, and the jury panel who would ultimately pass judgement over him, and Ray Kon-

A twig snapped behind him and he whirled around.

Brooklyn started in surprise and the ladybird balanced precariously on the twig flew away.

"Keep the fucking noise down!" Bryan snapped, "I can't think straight with you stomping around like an elephant!"

Brooklyn looked at him for a moment as if startled by the falcon's snarl; then his gaze shifted and he turned instead to a nearby tree. He scanned the bark intently, looking between the deep cracks and ridges of the great oak. He reached out his fingers and gently caressed the uneven surface, flinching as the coarse face caught his fingertips.

"Boris would be pleased you'd learnt to think for yourself" he said, his voice was emptying, neither emotional nor detached. It was simply spoken.

Bryan's glare flared again; he didn't want to talk about _Boris_, not now not ever. At least he'd managed to stop the redhead from referring to the man as _master_. That had really pissed him off "Boris didn't want me to think" he said shortly "he wanted me to obey orders"

"That might have been true when you were his student" Brooklyn agreed "but the children of BEGA were taught to follow Boris only if they loved him"

"Yeah" sneered Bryan "that makes you more pathetic than me"

"Is that what Tala told you?"

That caught the falcon off guard; he hadn't expected Brooklyn knew who Tala was, much less start talking about him. Instinctively he leapt to his Captain's defence "Tala's never wrong!"

"Garland said you would say that, he told me your love for Tala would blind you to everything"

Bryan blanched at the word 'love' but recognised the insult nonetheless "shut the fuck up!" he snarled, "you know nothing! And you know less shit about Tala!"

"I know you are wrong in your assessment of him" Brooklyn replied in the same dull voice.

"Like hell I am!"

"Yes" the redhead insisted "because you claim he is never wrong, and yet he was wrong in his belief that he could defeat Garland"

Bryan's mouth opened, and then snapped shut again.

There was no trying to deny it; Garland had crushed Tala within a matter of minutes. His only concern at the time had been that the match was boring the crowd. Never mind the fact he'd been up against Tala Valkov, the strongest wolf of Russia. Tala himself never spoke of the match, or the month in hospital afterwards; apparently his method of moving on from the catastrophe was to bed Ray Kon of all people. The falcon's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white.

Part of him wanted to punch Brooklyn's face in. But even he could see that beating another person to death wouldn't do much good for his defence. Instead he _made_ himself unfurl his hands and said through gritted teeth "what's Garland got to with anything?"

Brooklyn turned from the tree with a soft breath "he came to see me this morning to warn me to keep my distance from you"

"You should listen to his warning!" said Bryan heatedly.

"But the Doctors told us to take this walk together" Brooklyn reminded him "and I don't believe I have anything to fear from you, Boris is your master too"

"Boris is NOT my master!"

Brooklyn didn't answer; instead he found another beetle trundling its way down the bark of the tree and outstretched his finger to the little creature. It tried to avoid him, and walk around but Brooklyn remained patient and in the end the insect accepted and clambered on to his finger. Brooklyn smiled gently down and watched as the beetle crawled its way determinedly to his palm.

Bryan tramped on; whether Brooklyn decided to follow him or not he really didn't give a fuck. It hadn't been his idea to come out on this stupid jaunt in the first place; that had been the work of his _amazing_ Doctor Judy who had decided to make it happen when she'd seen the way Brooklyn had responded to the falcon. Bryan could have killed her for that assessment alone. And now, because of _her_, he was tramping through this stupid forest with a stupid companion who kept picking up stupid bugs. AND…

Bryan stopped suddenly; he looked left, he looked right.

And then he cursed out loud.

Brooklyn, who had seemingly decided to follow – for reasons of his own, stopped again. He watched as the falcon turned this way and that, and then whirled back to glare at him savagely. The redhead blinked, caught between expectancy and puzzlement; Bryan snarled again and shook his fist.

"What is wrong?" asked Brooklyn "is there a problem?"

"Of course there's a fucking problem!" the falcon seethed "in case you haven't noticed, this isn't the right fucking path!"

There was a pause.

Brooklyn surveyed the surroundings and then looked up high in to the trees above them; he gazed upwards for a moment, contemplating something very private it seemed. And then smiled.

If Bryan had expected this to be a good sign, some sort of recognition or knowledge to where they were in relation to anything else in the world, then he was sadly mistaken. Brooklyn lifted a hand to shade his eyes from the sun that twinkled down through the leaves.

"The blossoms are out"

Bryan fell over.

"WHAT'D YOU MEAN THE BLOSSOMS ARE OUT!" he roared, "that's got fuck all to do with ANYTHING!"

"It means this is a good summer, the sun and rain has been good for the trees" Brooklyn pointed out.

The falcon could have killed him right there.

Instead, however, he turned on his heel and marched off; he should have known not to rely on an ex-blader whose brain was mushier than a bowl of mushy peas. Not for the first time, he wished Tala was here.

Or rather…

Wish was too strong a word. Or maybe it was the wrong word.

Need.

Required.

Want.

Dammit, he needed his Captain. But then he remembered what Tala had done. Or _who_ Tala had done. Anger consumed him. He couldn't help it; one thought of Ray Kon and all he wanted to do was bash that neko-jin's face in all over again. He hated Ray. Had hated him since the tiger had defeated him.

No, he'd hated him even before that.

He'd hated him on sight.

The first time he'd seen Ray Kon on a television screen.

And Tala had…

Bryan shuddered. He didn't want to think about it. Yet at the same time he had to think about it. Because all of _that_ was the reason he was here at all. Because of Tala and because of Ray, it was their fault. Then he changed his mind again: it was all just _Ray's_ fault. It was because of _him_ Tala hadn't spoken to Bryan. It was because of _him_ Bryan had been shoved in this _dump_ and forgotten.

It was all Ray's FAULT.

He burst through the trees snarling, breaking branches in his path.

And then lurched to a halt.

Brooklyn was standing in front of him.

For a moment, Bryan was confused; he couldn't understand how Brooklyn had managed to run passed him without being seen and ended up waiting for him in front. And then he realised; Brooklyn hadn't moved at all.

Bryan had just managed to storm around in a complete circle.

Brooklyn, who apparently had been admiring the blossom all this time, lowered his gaze to look at the falcon whose temper was boiling over now he'd discovered himself still to be lost. Worse than that, he couldn't seem to get on to another path. But the look on Brooklyn's face was thoughtful; there was no fear or uncertainty despite the expression of poison now glowering at him.

Instead he lifted his eyes back up as a petal broke free of its flower and came floating down toward him; he raised his hand to meet it, and it landed effortlessly in to his palm. He gazed at it and then looked back up at the falcon.

"Ray Kon" he said, "that name is familiar"

Bryan was taken aback; he hadn't realised he'd spoken out loud. He huffed loudly and sneered "so what? Who cares about some stupid neko-jin?"

"Kindness…" Brooklyn murmured, more to himself.

He seemed distracted by the name of Ray Kon.

Slowly he touched the petal in his palm, stroking the edge as if it were a feather.

"There's a hospital…" he whispered.

He looked back down at the petal.

"Kindness…"

And then he crushed the petal.

_Crushed _it and mashed it until there was nothing left.

His face went black.

* * *

"Hey, I didn't know you were here" Tyson said as he sauntered in to his kitchen and found his brother sitting at the table "if you're looking for grandpa, he's gone out"

"That doesn't matter" Hiro replied with a sigh "I'm not here to see him"

"You're not?" Tyson grinned, "could it be you're here to see your amazing younger brother?"

"No, I'm not here to see you either" his brother answered "and it's debatable whether you're amazing or not"

"_Hey_, I'm the best blader in the world, remember!"

"Number one blader you may be, but in regards to anything else you're pretty stupid"

Tyson gaped and felt half tempted to throw a yoghurt at Hiro's head, then he decided against it "you're not even worth it!" he huffed.

Hiro smiled and shook his head as the dragon sat down opposite him and scoffed down his yoghurt "it's been a while since you and I saw each other, we should do something soon"

"Are you sure you can stand to be around someone stupid?" asked Tyson scowling.

"Don't be like that. I'm serious"

"Yeah" the dragon agreed "Dad's asked me to go visit him while he's in Egypt" he finished his yoghurt in two mouthfuls "you cub…com wib me" he finished thickly. He swallowed "make it a family thing"

"Good idea" Hiro nodded, he grinned "you taking grandpa with you?"

"Ahh, I thought I'd let the old goat have a little time by himself" his brother said hastily "it's a bit much asking him to get on a plane at his age"

"You mean you'd rather not make a repetition of our last holiday together" Hiro remarked rather amused.

Tyson blanched. Memories of gaudy clothes, loud raucous embarrassing stories and the stripping club came floating back to him "please don't make me go through that again" he beseeched "my nerves couldn't take it"

"Trust me, I wouldn't put my worst enemy through that" Hiro assured him

"Well, that's put my mind at rest"

Tyson and Hiro both jumped. The back door had opened without their knowing and Tala stood in the doorway, stepping in to the kitchen without invitation. Tyson blinked and watched as the wolf took his coat off and hung it up before turning back to them.

"Tala?" the dragon blinked again "what are you doing here?"

"He's here to see me" Hiro replied "though why you wanted me to meet you here of all places-"

"I don't want Kai to know where I'm hiding" the wolf replied, "recently he's been making efforts to try and find me"

"Kai" Tyson repeated "he's not here, and why are you here to see Hiro?"

Tala gave the dragon a scathing look "I _know_ Kai isn't here, fool. That's why I chose it. For your information Kai is currently at the hospital with his dying team-mate"

"Ray isn't dying!" Tyson snapped "and why are you here to see Hiro!?"

"That is between me and the lawyer Kai has hired"

"So that's what this" Hiro realised "you want to see me on an official matter"

Tala snorted, "of course" he sneered, "I have no other reason to want to speak to _you_, the man who trained _BEGA_"

Hiro gave the wolf a speculative look, and then turned to his brother "Tyson, I'm going have to ask you to leave us for a while"

"What! No way!"

"I can't have you hearing this, there's laws against it" Hiro insisted.

Tyson scowled at Tala but got up anyway; he gave his brother one last look before making his way to the door "Ray's not dying" was all he said as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Hiro gave it a second to make sure his brother hadn't got the idea of eavesdropping, and then looked back at the redhead "alright" he invited "we're alone. Why did you contact me?"

"It's perfectly simple" Tala answered taking up the seat Tyson had used "I want to see Bryan"

There was a pause.

"I find that interesting" Hiro replied "given the fact you're the one that sold him out"

"I'm am fully aware of what I've done" the wolf said levelly "but that doesn't mean I don't want to visit my old team-mate"

"Does that mean he's forgiven for angering you?" asked Hiro, he looked sceptical "I find that hard to believe"

"Whether I've forgiven Bryan or not is my business" Tala brushed aside the empty yoghurt pot "but, according to Kai, I have to obtain your permission to see Bryan"

"That's right" Hiro affirmed, "it's one of Kai's conditions, I also have to inform him of any visitors Bryan gets"

"Yes, fine. Do what you want" Tala waved this away "do I have your permission?"

"Not until you tell me why you're being so compliant to Kai's rules. Surely you're not above disregarding all the rules Kai has made, why not just go see Bryan without telling anyone?"

"It's a matter of trust" the wolf explained a little bored "if Kai finds out I've seen Bryan without your permission he won't rest until he has me locked in a box where he can keep his eye on me" the redhead gave an emotionless smile "I could do without that little hassle"

"Alright" Hiro accepted "now tell me why you want to see Bryan at all"

"That's my concern"

"No, it's mine. By a sequence of events Bryan is my client through Kai, which makes him my concern and my responsibility. Now tell me why you want to see him or I won't permit it"

Tala sighed with annoyance "fine, if you're going to insist on it" he allowed "I want him back under my control"

"Control? I don't understand"

The redhead rolled his eyes "it's not difficult" he said impatiently "look, you may not trust me, but the fact remains that I'm the only reason why Bryan hasn't found himself locked up in prison before now. Ever since we escaped Boris's command I'm the one who's made sure Bryan keeps to the rules of a civilised life"

"But I thought Kai-"

"Kai may be the one in control in your eyes" Tala interrupted "but as a matter of fact it's a joint thing, Bryan is too much my subordinate to listen to Kai without my permission"

"If that's the case" Hiro glared over the table "then why did Ray get hurt at all?"

Tala shrugged seemingly not to care "I'll admit my hold on Bryan has slipped somewhat of late, but that's why I want to see him. I'm going to remind him who's Captain"

Hiro was silent. He thought about this and he thought about what Kai's reaction would be. He knew the phoenix wouldn't be happy to hear Hiro had given Tala permission. He looked back up at Tala.

"When you get this control back, what are you going to tell Bryan?"

"Exactly what you want me to say" Tala replied "I'm going to tell him to stay in the retreat" he stared back at Hiro "you should let me see him" he said lightly "it's in your best interest"

* * *

And so Tala's plan is put in motion. But what is he up to? Anyone care to take a guess?

Please, do take a guess cause I only have the bare bones of an idea so any tips would be welcome and taken in to consideration.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Please leave a review.

Kiki

Kizzes!


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